


We'll Show Them

by theartificialluci



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2018-11-06 22:01:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 26,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11045190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theartificialluci/pseuds/theartificialluci
Summary: Summary- News Anchors AU: Sasha Velour’s anchoring job at Good Morning Bitches is put in jeopardy when her sexuality is questioned, and she isn’t sure her boss can save her this time.[originally posted on artificalqueens]





	1. Chapter 1

The window blinds were pulled half-heartedly shut; the gaps wide enough to let in streaks of sunlight. The entrance room that lead into her work was narrow, and the light found its way to every corner of the room. The light bounced off the red brick wall opposite, blinding Sasha when she was forced to walk through the beam of light. She drew her left arm up to her face, shielding her eyes from the harsh sun.

Sasha’s time management was questionable at best and she couldn’t be sure how early it was, but judging by the sun still rising in the sky, it was too early for her to be awake. The coffee she held in her free hand burned her palm, but she was grateful for the energy it provided. The smell of vanilla and cinnamon distracted her nose from the streets of Brooklyn. Sasha brushed down her pencil skirt, checking for stains before she proceeded. That was the downside of being an artist, paint found a way to manifest itself everywhere. She moved aside the poster that read ‘Quiet on set!’ and pushed open the door ahead. 

Sasha tried to slow her rapid breaths, panting from running into the building. She grimaced as she checked the time on her phone. Her feet were already starting to hurt as she stumbled down the streets of Brooklyn to make it on time to work for the first time this week. It was Thursday, and she’d once again failed, by 20 minutes. Sasha wished she could say that was a record, but it was actually one of her better days. 

The room was alive with cameramen and directors, each shouting instructions at each other. Lights focused on the set in the centre of the room, highlighting the news desk. Sasha glanced at it, a feeling of unease washing over her. She wasn’t sure how much longer she’d be allowed to sit in the chair. She turned away from the set with a grimace on her face. Her eyes caught sight of her boss, who was leaning on a chair outside her office, as she flicked through papers in her hands. She was talking quietly with one of the directors, Alexis Michelle.

Perhaps in any other circumstances, the woman perched next to the desk hidden by another figure, would’ve blended into the background. But Shea Coulee wasn’t able to blend in. The smooth curve of contour that shaped her cheekbone was drawn to her ruby lips and her eyebrows arched to her temple. Her dark brown curls fell past her shoulders, the artificial lights catching the blonde highlights. In other words, Shea Coulee could be photographed in front of each wonder of the world and still take all the spotlight. Of course Sasha thought she was beautiful; everyone did. Shea was a sight to behold, and Sasha imagined she was too, but for different reasons. The news anchor stood with her mouth agape, staring in the direction of Shea, the coffee in her hand beginning to go cold. Shea hadn’t yet seen her approach, but everyone else had. They watched her awkwardly, the tension in the air being felt by everyone in the room. 

“Hey Shea.” Sasha greeted sheepishly, waiting nervously for her to wave Alexis away. The woman gave Shea and Sasha a weary look before walking away to leave them in peace. 

“You’re late. Again. In fact, I don’t think I can think of a time when you’ve actually been on time.” Shea narrowed her eyes, her foot tapping impatiently. 

“I’m sorry, I promise I’m trying. The bus was late and the traffic was terrible and-” Sasha was interrupted when Shea took the coffee from her hand and pressed it to her lips to quieten her. 

“Look, I can’t keep saving your ass; you know it’s difficult for us at the moment.” Shea sighed, giving Sasha back her coffee after a deathly glare. If looks could kill, Shea would have been assassinated. 

Sasha contemplated what she should say; “I’m sorry that my time management is almost as bad as being the lesbian news anchor that is apparently literally Satan herself” didn’t really seem to cut it.   
Shea must have noticed the regret in Sasha’s eyes because her face softened. She placed a hand on Sasha’s shoulder gently.

“We’ll get through this; just try not to fuck anything else up.” Shea smiled sympathetically. Sasha leaned into her touch, ignoring the glare Alexis was shooting in their direction. 

Shea took the cold coffee that Sasha had forgotten about and pressed it to her lips, delighting in Sasha’s disgust as she took a sip. Shea was perfect; but everyone had a flaw. Sasha hadn’t expected Shea’s to be her strange enjoyment of cold coffee. Sasha shook her head as the pair walked over to Shea’s desk, coffee placed next to her pile of work tauntingly. Sasha wrinkled her nose at it.

Shea’s eyes bore into hers, lustrous onyx meeting pale topaz. Sasha wanted to shy away from her gaze, but she decided to attempt to establish dominance. Of course, it didn’t work as Shea gave her a bright smile and Sasha felt herself melting onto the desk. Not a professional image, but an apt one. Shea’s smile was as strong as her character and Sasha couldn’t help but feel intimidated. She was reminded of her first day as a news anchor, the fear of being live crushing any confidence she’d previously mustered. The butterflies in her stomach were back now, except they seemed to have turned into those giant moths she was deathly afraid of. 

“So,” Shea asked cheerfully, “have you read the script for today? We get to do a story together. Lucky us; getting to discuss the riveting effects of gas prices on American rednecks.” 

Sasha laughed loudly and wiggled her eyebrows, “Fascinating.” 

“Oh indeed it is Miss Velour; this is the hard-hitting reporting I always dreamed of. This, my dear, is why I went to journalism school.” Shea proclaimed, gesturing wildly to the camera crew and bright colourful lights that illuminated the background. 

“I’m so glad I get to witness you reaching the peak of your career.” Sasha grinned. 

“I couldn’t imagine anyone better to share this experience with.” Shea announced, mimicking giving a dramatic speech. Sasha rolled her eyes as she walked over to her own desk, still shaking her head at her boss when she sat down into her uncomfortable faux leather chair. Still making faces at Shea, Sasha hadn’t noticed Alexis approach. 

“Look, weirdo, tell me what’s going on.” She asked quietly, taking a seat in front of the anchor. Sasha frowned in offense. 

“It’s not exactly professional to call me a weirdo, Alexis.” She countered. Sasha and Alexis were close, especially after Alexis taught Sasha how to read the Teleprompters without messing up. Sure, it had taken a few weeks, but Sasha had been grateful that she’d managed to learn at all. 

“Don’t you start talking about professionalism, Velour. I see how you’ve been acting with Shea, are you kidding me?” Alexis hissed. 

Sasha’s eyes widened in bewilderment as she frowned up at her co-worker. Alexis had taken a hard stance; crossing her arms and raising her eyebrow. Sasha bit her lip, shrinking into her chair. She felt as though she was a criminal being interrogated, and Alexis’s cool stare made her feel as though she actually was guilty. 

“I haven’t done anything.” Sasha stated simply. Mentally, she cursed. That’s exactly what someone who had done something would say. 

“The show’s views have gone down since your interview last month. Do you even remember that homophobic guest we had? If that sexual tension with Shea carries on, you’ll get fired.” Alexis’s worried warning was vague, but Sasha knew what she was talking about. She’d basically come out to America, which was definitely a country that didn’t want a sapphic news anchor. Or, at least, that’s what the stats had shown. Sasha had been on thin ice since, and it wasn’t getting better. 

“I promise I won’t do anything stupid.” Sasha mumbled. 

“You say that all the time and I guarantee you go and do something extremely stupid very soon after it. I can’t save you, and Shea sure as hell can’t. The station managers already think she’s way too soft on you, considering she’s not only head-anchor but also general manager.” Alexis sighed, smiling sympathetically. 

A hand fell on Sasha’s shoulder, and the surprise made her gasp loudly. Judging by the scowl on Alexis’s face and the deep laugh from behind her, Sasha guessed that it was Shea. Sasha spun around, meeting the sparkling eyes and wide grin of her boss. 

“You scared me. I don’t have the right health insurance to pay for a heart attack at work.” Sasha pouted mockingly, her hand clutching her chest as if she could demonstrate her elevated heart rate.   
“Well, you better bring that up with my superiors then, as a heart attack is very likely in a boring news job.” Shea joked, pulling Sasha to her feet. 

“Come on, we’re supposed to be on air in,” Shea paused to mime looking at an imaginary watch on her wrist, “no minutes. Let’s go.” 

Shea pulled Sasha towards their positions at the news desk, where two chairs had been placed. Two men directed them to their seats, barking instructions at them. The producer of the show counted down, holding up his hand and counting down on his fingers. Sasha waited for the last finger to drop and the light to switch on, indicating that they were about to go live. 

Sasha wondered when they’d started sitting so close. The distance between them was paper thin, and Sasha could almost feel the minuscule hairs on Shea’s arm on her own. She could smell the floral perfume on her wrists and she could feel the gentle exhale of breath. Their knees brushed, causing friction as the fabric of their tights came into contact. Sasha stared into the lens of the camera, making sure her face kept up its wide smile. She glanced quickly at Shea, noticing the same charismatic smile. To the audience at home, through the television screens, the tension between the two couldn’t be observed. They couldn’t see how close their bodies were beneath the desks, or how shallow their breaths were. 

“…they’ll be more on that story as it develops.” Shea finalised, turning to Sasha as she waited for the other anchor to pick up on her queue. 

“Keep watching for Alexis Michelle, who has lots to discuss with a special guest. That’s all from us today.” Sasha waved at the camera, offering her signature goofy smile to the audience. Shea blew the camera a kiss, which was her own iconic gesture. The light in front of them, that was currently a blinding red, turned to a dull white to signal the end of their live segment. The cameras turned away from them and Sasha finally relaxed, slumping into her chair. Shea did the same, turning her chair to face Sasha. 

“I’m glad the red necks aren’t giving up, gas price protests are really inspiring.” Shea announced with a sarcastic hum. Sasha laughed loudly. 

“They’re really changing the world, aren’t they?” Sasha added, still laughing as she spoke. Shea nodded in mock confirmation, opening her mouth to speak. She was interrupted by Alexis running up to the pair of them, a note scribbled on a piece of paper. Sasha saw her name written down and she felt her heart stop beating for a moment. She knew this wouldn’t be good.

“Sasha, the bosses want to talk to you,” Alexis greeted in a hurry, “what are they upset about?” 

“What are you talking about? I haven’t done anything?” Sasha asked; frantic worry evident in her eyes. Sasha had many experiences with her bosses, but not one of them had been good since she interviewed for the job 3 years ago. The feeling of dread had been one she was familiar with by now, and it hadn’t become any less bearable to walk to the third floor. Most of the trouble she caused was fixed by Shea, the news director and her co-anchor, but the few times she’d been called to the station managers had worried even Shea. 

Down the corridor, Farrah sat behind her desk that was positioned in front of the superiors’ offices. She was buried deep in paperwork, and Sasha often felt sorry for the young woman. She was fresh out of university, and had been running after Trinity for months. The assistant was the sweetheart of the crew, and everyone knew it. Her short blonde hair was curled perfectly and her doe eyes sparkled whenever you asked her how her day was. Farrah leaned forward, elbows resting on her desk, as she flashed Sasha a smile. 

“Hey darling.” Sasha greeted, trying not to wear her defeated emotions on her face. Farrah either didn’t notice or care about Sasha’s internal turmoil as she kept smiling and greeted her fondly. 

“What brings you here?” Farrah asked as Sasha anxiously paced in front of the desk. 

“I have a meeting.” Sasha mumbled, embarrassed. Farrah frowned and shook her head. 

“Oh, again? Trinity’s in her office, just walk on in. And good luck.” Farrah waved in the direction of Trinity’s office and watched Sasha pityingly as she shuffled towards the door.   
She knocked twice on the glass door, and she could see Trinity look up in surprise. The older woman beckoned her in with a flick of her hand. Sasha quickly studied Trinity’s expression, hoping to get an indication of her mood. Her face was smooth and youthful from years of plastic surgery, and her lips were drawn into a pout, only partly from the fillers. She was frowning, and Sasha knew that didn’t mean good news for her. 

She took a seat in front of Trinity’s desk, shuffling in her chair. Trinity’s eyes stared deeply into hers, and Sasha guessed she was probably trying to deduce her emotions as she previously had. 

“Look, Velour, you know we’ve had some issues with you since your interview. You understand that it’s nothing to do with you personally, but we’ve lost 20% of our views since. We can’t afford it. We’ve discussed the future of your career and we can’t find an alternative to letting you go. If they decide they don’t want you as an anchor at the public meeting, then we’re going to have to consider something drastic. I’m sorry.” Trinity explained. 

Sasha was sure that her boss spoke for around ten more minutes, but she lost concentration. She was staring blankly at Trinity, her face pale and her hands shaking. Trinity had excused her, apologizing weakly as she left the office. Sasha didn’t stop to explain to Farrah, and she didn’t walk over to Shea when the woman gave her a curious look. Instead, she walked, slumped, to the back room, making sure no one could hear her rapid hiccupping breaths. 

Sasha’s soft sniffles could be heard from the back room as she locked herself in the small room. She had never been claustrophobic, but it felt as though the room was closing up on her, trapping her against all four dark walls. Tears left tracks in her foundation, and her mascara had proved to not be waterproof at all. She began to hiccup as she verged on hysteria, the tears becoming more uncontrollable. 

“Miss Velour, if you don’t open this door in 2 seconds I will kick it down and smack you.” Sasha’s head shot in the direction of the door as she heard Shea’s loud shout from the other side. She contemplated ignoring the warning, but she knew Shea had heard her crying. She hesitated for a moment, buying her time to wipe away the smudged mascara. She pulled the door open, seeing Shea standing in the doorway with two coffees in her hand. 

“Thought you could use some caffeine?” Shea offered, holding out the larger coffee to Sasha. She thanked her quietly, grateful for the warm liquid that refreshed her dried out throat. Shea hugged her tightly, sitting down next to her on the battered loveseat. 

Sasha opted not to speak, worried that her voice would come out whiny and cracked. Instead she just rested her head on Shea’s shoulder, taking deep breaths to control her breathing. She was still crying, unable to stop the tears, but Shea’s strength was a great help. They sat in comfortable silence until Shea turned towards her to speak.

“Do you think you’ll ever do something with your art?” Shea asked, her eyes drawn to the stain of pale blue paint on Sasha’s collar. Sasha glanced down at it too, rubbing it with her thumbs to try and get rid of it. 

“It’s not like they’ll ever be an art segment on this damn show, and I’m too broke to afford an art studio. Hell, I can’t even afford paints; did you know I get the bus to work? That’s why usually late, by the way.” Sasha sighed.

“I can always come pick you up before work. We could get breakfast first, maybe.” Shea offered, a charming smile masking her nerves. Sasha scuffed her feet on the wooden floor and stared down at her feet. She wondered when she’d become a schoolgirl with a crush. The last word poisoned her mind as she bit her lip, the mere thought of it making her flinch. That was definitely, one hundred percent the last thing she needed. 

“Yeah, I’d like that a lot, thanks.” Sasha beamed.

“And don’t give up on your art; I’m sure I won’t be the only one who adores it.” Shea promised. Sasha nodded gratefully as Shea drew her finger under Sasha’s eyes to wipe away a stray tear. Her heart fluttered from the intimacy.

“You’re a really great distraction, you know that?” Sasha mused, leaning into Shea’s touch. 

“I do my best, bitch. Also, don’t tell my boss that I called an employee a bitch.” Shea spoke, reaching her hand over to Sasha so she could press her finger in front of her lip in a silencing gesture. 

“I promise. I’ll see you tomorrow, Shea. And thanks, for everything.” Sasha spoke, her mouth turned up into a slight smile. She kissed Shea on the cheek before leaving the room to get the bus home. She picked up her bag from her locker and sped up, practically running out the door as she realised she’d be late for the last bus of the day. Shea shook her head fondly.

Shea walked over to her desk, bag slung over her shoulder as she got ready to leave. A flash of colour caught her eye as she found a post-it note stuck to the screen of her computer. She frowned, confused, and pulled it gently so she didn’t rip it. She was glad everyone had gone home, especially Sasha, so that no one could see the immense smile growing on her face.

The post-it note in her hand was a faded pink, with a drawing sketched on it in a gel pen. It was a troll like figure surrounded in roses. Its bushy eyebrows mirrored Sasha’s, and its teal skin was coloured in with a felt tip pen. Sasha had often called it her alter ego, and its Gollum-like voice she impersonated always made them both laugh until their ribs hurt. Shea smiled at the picture in her hands. The pink post-it note joined a cluster of others on the top of her computer. Each was a different colour and was decorated with a different drawing. Some had little messages scribbled underneath the drawings. The latest was not an exception. 

‘Sorry for being a fuck up.-Sasha <3’


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alexis’s concern leads to Sasha questioning the blurring lines of her relationship with Shea as she fights to save her damaged reputation.

The rain from the night before had refused to clear up in the morning and, after a motivational cappuccino before leaving, Sasha ran out into the busy streets to catch the bus waiting for its passengers. The bus journey wasn’t long, but it provided enough time for Sasha to watch raindrops race down the window. She made a mental note to paint a picture from this perspective of the weather. Sasha had never been a fan of rain, whether she was trapped in it or not, but she knew Shea loved watching the rain from the safety of indoors. 

The bus had dropped her off around the corner, a dreaded ten minute walk away from the office building she needed to reach. Sasha huffed; focusing her eyes in the direction of her destination. She’d hoped that the rain would have calmed down by the time she’d been forced to walk in it, but she was wrong.

Her ivory shirt, ironed and pressed, clung to her dampening body. Two stains on her collar, one rose pink and the other mint green, had proven almost impossible to wash no matter how many times she’d put them through the washing machine. The acrylic paint from the previous night had gotten onto her laundry and, running out of her trusty acetone; she was forced to deal with her co-workers’ inevitable stares. They knew way too much about her artist alter ego from just her clumsiness. Alternative to fixing the stains, Sasha strategically placed two pins over the stains. One was a greyhound and the other was a vegan slogan she’d been handed on the street, ‘animals aren’t ingredients’. 

Sasha shielded the papers in her arms from the rain, hoping she wouldn’t smudge the ink. The rain was worsening, and Sasha struggled to avoid the puddles in her heels. She waited for the cars to slow down for her so she could cross the busy road. The cars didn’t slow down for her; instead they drove faster so they didn’t have to make eye contact with the shaking woman. Eventually, a taxi took pity on her and stopped, allowing her to stumble towards her building. As she crossed, a car pulled up beside her, the splash of a puddle almost ruining her light shirt. The figure ran over to Sasha, holding out a red umbrella over her hair, saving her flattening curls from the cruel rain.

“Thanks.” Sasha spoke breathlessly, blinking rain out of her eyes so that she could see the stranger who had become her knight in shining armour. She noticed, after seeing the dark eyes looking down at her, which her saviour wasn’t a stranger at all. Shea held up the umbrella so it covered Sasha’s soaked frame. Shea seemed to be reasonably dry but the rain was ruining the left side of her black and white blazer as she sacrificed the majority of the umbrella to Sasha. 

“No problem, can’t have my favourite employee catching a cold, how boring would my job be then?” Shea greeted, rolling her eyes to put across her point. Sasha gave Shea a grateful nod as she held the door of their building open, collapsing the umbrella before following Sasha into the hallway. 

The gust of air from the central heating was a blessing to both women as they shivered at the reception desk. The door that held all the superiors’ offices behind it was pulled closed, a sign saying ‘MEETING IN PROGRESS’ placed in the centre. Sasha felt herself shrinking, as she imagined the meeting was probably discussing her fate. The public meeting was in a week; and if it didn’t go in her favour, Sasha knew she’d have to pick up the paint-covered newspaper she had led down in her house and search for a new job. 

Shea had clearly noticed her discomfort because she moved a bit closer, frowning in concern. Sasha tried to flash a reassuring smile, but it came off as more of a grimace. 

“It’s probably about the broken coffee machine, not you.” Farrah called from behind the desk, noticing the atmosphere in front of her. She had her elbow placed on the surface of the desk; her head rested in her hand. There were two pencils behind her ears, one stained with red lipstick from where she’d chewed it. 

“Yeah, probably.” Shea agreed, leaning over to the desk to sign in for the day. Sasha did the same, thanking Farrah as she handed them the schedule for the day. 

The stairs led down to the live room where both girls worked. They paused in the room before it, however, once they reached the base of the stairs. It was where Sasha tended to hide when things got too serious, namely when Alexis yelled at her for being too forthright. Shea was normally the one who had to bring her back before a show, so she was aware of all Sasha’s hiding places. It was why Sasha always lost when they played hide and seek in the office, usually with Farrah in first place since she was able to fit in the smallest of places. 

They usually played it on the first Monday of each month, but often indulged if someone was having a particularly hard day, like when Alexis’s dog was having surgery. Even Alexis, the most sensible of them all, couldn’t resist running around like a child. That’s what Trinity had called them when she’d found them, saying she ‘hadn’t left her children at home to come to work and look after bigger, more stupid children’. She hadn’t tried to stop them, however. 

“You’re alright, aren’t you?” Shea asked, hands on Sasha’s shoulder. She knew Sasha was worried about going live again, anticipating all the hate she is going to receive. Each negative comment means bad news for Sasha, as Trinity had said. 

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll be fine. Nothing a block on Twitter won’t fix.” Sasha waved her hands in dismissal, smiling at Shea. 

“When you call yourself a strong independent woman, you sure aren’t lying about the damn independent part. Just let me know if you need anything bitch.” Shea sighed, throwing up her arms dramatically. Sasha gave her a smug smile and sauntered through the doors into their office room. 

It was much quieter than usual in the early mornings; the hive of activity had subsided until the upcoming live show was being directed. Sasha never liked being shouted at and Shea never liked being given orders, so neither woman enjoyed the time of day that introduced the producers and directors. 

Sasha’s desk was exactly as she always left it, perfectly organised and colourful. She had sketchbooks piled in desk drawers and pots of pens and pencils of a variety of shades. Sasha had disregarded paperwork neatly on the edge of her desk, as if she was ready to push it into the recycling bin below at any second. She gave it side eye as she took a seat at her desk, sighing as she continued to procrastinate reading through everything. 

“Did you guys have a nice kiss in the rain?” Alexis commented from the desk beside Sasha’s. She gritted her teeth as Alexis’s focus turned to Shea, who was being bombarded by questions from her employees. 

“Shut up, Alexis.” Sasha mumbled; her mind blank of clever retorts. Alexis obviously noticed this, because she raised her eyebrow. 

“I wonder who she’ll have secret rendezvous with when you don’t have a job.” Alexis mused maliciously. Sasha didn’t respond, she just balled up her fists and frowned in the direction of her computer screen. 

“Hey, I didn’t mean to upset you. But if you don’t start thinking about how you act, you’re gonna end up where you don’t want to be.” Alexis shrugged, gesturing to the post-it note on top of Sasha’s pile of papers that read, ‘Sasha- public meeting @7:30 next Tuesday. Good Luck!! -Farrah’. 

“Just because I’m gay, doesn’t mean every woman I’m friends with is too. We’re friends; does that mean we’re in the midst of a secret gay romance?” Sasha tried to distract herself from the conversation by using jokes, but her usual comedic mask was torn off by Alexis’s stubborn need to argue. 

“The difference is that I have a boyfriend. You can’t deny that you would’ve been fired a long time ago if Shea didn’t think you were cute. I mean, you haven’t been on time since you’re second day. I’d say first but I’m pretty sure you turned up late then too.” Alexis spoke matter-of-factly. 

“Shea isn’t that shallow.” Sasha argued, looking up towards Shea, who had just walked through the doors. She looked stressed, her eyebrows knitted together as she frowned. 

“The fact is you’re not seeing the bigger picture. You choose each other or your careers.” Alexis finalised her point. 

Of course Alexis would reduce her friendship with Shea to some dramatic rom-com. Sasha watched her turn to another co-worker who needed her help with some files. Groaning, Sasha turned to her computer and clicked open the fifty pending emails flashing on her screen. Each less important than the one before it, Sasha flicked through them distractedly until she was called onto set by one of the directors. 

She noticed Shea waiting for her, long legs crossed as she perched on the edge of the desk. Her heels tapped gently against the wood as she swung her legs. The head producer was talking to her, holding a clipboard close to his chest. Shea’s legs stopped their rhythmic motion when she noticed Sasha approach. She gave Sasha a pointed look and rolled her eyes in the direction of the producer. She clearly wasn’t listening to a word he was saying. 

“Miss Velour, have a good show.” The producer nodded politely before walking away to talk to an equally as bored cameraman. 

“Hey stranger, I haven’t seen you all day.” Shea hummed as Sasha pulled up a chair next to her. 

“I know darling, that’s the price we have to pay when someone,” Sasha nodded pointedly at Shea, “is a successful business woman with meetings every hour.” Shea laughed and gave a smug grin.  
“So, what was that about?” Sasha asked, looking towards the producer curiously. 

Shea shrugged dismissively. “Oh, just wanted my ideas on a set change. Honestly, I’m pretty sure he just wants a chance to accidentally touch my ass. If he was being paid for flirting, he’d actually be good at his job.” Shea huffed, her voice laced with mirth. 

Sasha hoped there were no physical signs of the sudden drop of her stomach. She looked up in surprise. 

“Oh, did he ask you out?” Sasha asked, hoping she had managed to keep the tone of her voice consistent. Shea didn’t seem to notice either way. 

“Oh please, he’s been asking me out for months, doesn’t mean I’m gonna say yes,” Shea answered, turning to look at Sasha, “besides, he isn’t exactly where I’m keeping my eye.” 

Sasha’s lips separated slightly as she searched for something to say, but the shouts of directors and producers tore the pair apart as they were taken to their desk spaces.   
The lights signalling quiet, we’re live blared above the camera and the two co-anchors prepared to read their Teleprompters. 

“And now Alexis Michelle, discussing what happened when Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia, and we place our bets on how long it will take for him to get every country to hate him.” Shea grinned, pausing to let Sasha say her final lines. 

Sasha was grateful when the cameras turned to Alexis, who perfectly delivered a story without even a pause of breath. Though she often lacked in charisma, Alexis was a talented newswoman, and Sasha wouldn’t be surprised if she was her replacement.

They went off air a while after, and both women were grateful for the chance to joke around again. They got told off for speaking too loudly, being shut out until filming was over and scolded, and Sasha was a repeat offender. Much to Shea’s amusement, Sasha found it extremely difficult to hold in jokes once she’d thought of them. 

“Have you heard anything new from Trinity?” Shea asked, her legs swinging absentmindedly beneath the chair. 

“Nah, I guess they’re waiting till Tuesday to tell me. It’s a bit cowardly, isn’t it? Keeping me in the dark. At least if they told me now that it’s not looking good, I could start finding a job. I’m sure that charming pub on the corner would hire me.” Sasha finished sarcastically, grimacing at the prospect of the cat calls and having shots spilt on her already paint stained clothes. Shea wrinkled her nose, reminded on the story she once reported on the drunken fights between Brooklyn men and invading neighbourhood raccoons. 

“I won’t let you do that to yourself. You’d be a terrible barmaid; I’ve seen how many laptops you’ve destroyed. Spill resistant keyboard doesn’t mean half a cup of boiling coffee.” Shea laughed, placing a hand on Sasha’s shoulder in mock concern. Sasha pouted, remembering when she’d tripped and spilt a latte on her laptop and Farrah’s arm. The woman had whined for a week, mostly because the burn meant she couldn’t wear her favourite bracelets. Sasha would’ve made fun of her, but she felt she’d done enough damage. 

“Yeah, you know, you’re probably right.” Sasha laughed, her hands covering her face in embarrassment. 

“Now come on, sitting around here isn’t going to help you, let’s go home. It’s like seven, time for food.” Shea exclaimed, pointing to their co-workers that were beginning to leave. Sasha sighed loudly. 

“I’m not hungry for dinner, I’m hungry for justice,” Sasha collapsed into her chair, limbs sprawled out in exasperation. 

“You can’t fight social injustices on an empty stomach. Come on, I’ll take you to dinner.” Shea argue; pulling Sasha reluctantly to her feet. 

Sasha was about to follow Shea absentmindedly, but she hesitated. Shea looked back in confusion. The change in tone had been a surprise to both of them. Sasha imagined a metaphorical Alexis sitting on her shoulder. To her heart, Alexis was the angel, but to her mind, she was the devil. One thing Sasha knew for sure was that, unfortunately, Alexis Michelle was right. If Sasha really did care about her career, she couldn’t throw it away on a date.

Sasha looked down at the floor, her eyes landing on the black leather of Shea’s heels. They were ambitiously tall, and Sasha suspected that she’d probably be taller than Shea if she’d stop wearing them. She’d tried to get Shea to wear flats, but to no avail. She liked having the edge. She felt smaller than usual standing in front of Shea as the woman waited for her answer. Sasha felt a pang in the pit of her stomach, but she couldn’t tell if it was regret or guilt. Possibly both. 

“I’m sorry, Shea, but I can’t. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Sasha scurried away, trying her hardest not to look back. Shea watched her go, the offering of a lift home left as a breath on her lips.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things take a turn for the worst when Farrah suggests a night out, and Shea risks everything when Sasha gets into trouble

The day had begun like all the ones that week, quietly and dull. Sasha sat behind her desk with her elbow rested on the wooden surface, chin held up in her palm. Her eyes stared blankly at her computer screen, the words of a forwarded email blurring across the page. She narrowed her eyes, trying to focus on each sentence, but her attempts brought no success. Sasha minimised the email, leaving the screen on her desktop background. She smiled nostalgically as she remembered when the photograph had been taken.

The picture was of every member of staff that worked on Good Morning Bitches during Sasha’s first week. She was stood with the other anchors, Alexis and Shea, her arms draped shyly over their shoulders. Shea held her arm around Sasha’s waist; whilst a reluctant Alexis let her arms hang at her sides. The receptionists and assistants were adjacent to them, the cheerful group engulfing each other in a hug. Farrah, Kimora and Aja often seemed closer than any friend group Sasha knew, which seemed especially odd for colleagues. Trinity and Eureka stood firmly at the centre of both groups, neither indulging in the cheerful photo. They both managed a small smile, however.

Although Sasha had always loved the photo, one part in particular always caught her eye. Sasha’s mouth was slightly agape and her head was slightly tilted towards Shea. Shea’s own head was thrown back in laughter, eyes sparkling in amusement. Of course Sasha remembered the significance of the photograph; it was the memory behind it. It was the first time Sasha made Shea laugh. It had cost her a stern word from Trinity, something along the lines of, ‘we’re using the picture for the website, even if you made my staff look like a bunch of monkeys’.

Sasha longed to make a joke that would make Shea look at her like that again. She knew, however, that Shea wouldn’t want to hear one of her jokes for a while. Shea had created distance between herself and Sasha, hurt from Sasha’s rejection the week before.

“Hey, idiot, when were you actually planning on starting work? You’ve been staring at nothing for like 10 minutes.” Alexis scolded, peering over Sasha’s shoulder. Her comment had snapped Sasha out of her daze, and she glanced up sheepishly.

“Why can’t you smile like that anymore?” Sasha pointed to where Alexis stood in the photo, “What happened to that tiny, barely-there smile that you used to have?” Her joke made Alexis roll her eyes.

“You’re unbelievably useless. Eureka said that Aja was supposed to ask you about finishing a report from last week?” Alexis prompted.

Sasha sighed dramatically, moving the mouse so it hovered over her recent emails. Sure enough, there was a reminder from Aja. Both she and Shea were meant to find a story to discuss for the following week, when they were given a longer time slot. Sasha figured she’d find something herself as opposed to forced conversation with Shea. Alexis, satisfied that she’d done her job, walked back to her own desk.

Sasha tapped mindlessly on the keyboard, which was stained with coffee, as she opened the long forgotten google tabs on her computer.

Shea approached, and Sasha couldn’t be happier for a distraction. Clutching her clipboard, however, Sasha assumed that it was a business talk, not a friendly one. She opened her mouth to greet Sasha but Farrah interrupted, standing in between the two women. Farrah sat on the edge of Alexis’s desk, much to the woman’s annoyance.

“Hey guys.” Farrah grinned as the group turned to face her, wondering what she wanted. Kimora and Aja followed closely behind, both looking equally as happy as Farrah. None of the three had the most exciting jobs and, if Sasha got bored at her job, she’d had to have to suffer through theirs. It was unusual for even these usually charming girls to be that happy at work.

“What are you so chipper about?” Shea asked with a laugh, but Farrah’s smile didn’t fade.

“We’re going out for, like, the first time in months. It’s not often that we all have the same night off.” Kimora answered, leaning on Shea’s desk.

“You three need to come with us tonight! There’s a great bar a couple of streets down from here, we were planning on going after work.” Farrah clapped excitedly, her mouth spread into a wide grin. Sasha’s eyes switched from Farrah to Shea, who was sitting behind them with a grimace. Alexis, who was the oldest of the group, seemed much less inclined to join them, but agreed to do so after some persuading from Aja.

“Yeah, I’ll come, it sounds fun.” Sasha decided, hoping that her own disbelief wouldn’t seep through her deceptive words.  
“Me too. See you around eight?” Shea asked, turning her attention onto Farrah, who nodded in agreement.

Farrah was called back to her desk by Eureka, who had already managed to herd Aja and Kimora back to the office.

“If you want, I can pick you up at 8 and we can go to the bar together? Saves you getting the bus.” Shea offered, her voice still lacking in its usual friendly tone. Sasha was just grateful for the conversation. She’d missed it and she felt deprived, even if it had only been a week.

“That’d be great, thanks Shea.” Sasha smiled, watching Shea return the smile and walk back to her desk.

Sasha waited for her desk clock to tick its way to 6pm, tapping her finger on the mouse in time to the ticks. Eventually, the hands formed the straight line that Sasha had been waiting for, and she practically leapt from her seat. She was looking forward to mending her relationship with Shea, even if it meant having to deal with drunken barely-adults. She couldn’t pretend that she was the mature one of the crew, but at least she didn’t chase men around the bar and dance with them on tables. But, she supposed, there was more than one reason for that.

The bus was waiting to pick her up just 20 minutes later, and Sasha revelled in the chance to sit and think without the ever-present interruptions from her co-workers. Her mind wandered to her wardrobe as she wondered with dread how many of her clothes were actually clean and stainless. Picking out clothes for work that weren’t covered in pen or paint was difficult enough, and she had a lot less clothes for going out. She just hoped she hadn’t ended up painting in one of her nicer dresses, though she wouldn’t have been surprised if she had.

The bus stopped right on her street, and she was thankful because she wasn’t sure how much walking in heels her feet could take without a break.

She chose a black bodycon dress that stopped at the middle of her thighs. She paired it with a colourful blazer, patches sewn all over it, and some black heels that made her almost as tall as Alexis. Her makeup from her day at work was bold enough for her to not be able to justify redoing it, so she opts to just darken the shade of red on her lips and add more eyeliner to sharpen her wings.

The ring of the doorbell made Sasha jump as she sat on the end of her bed, tying up the laces on her heels.

Of course, Sasha couldn’t see her own face when she opened the door to Shea, but in every scenario she could think up, she was staring like an idiot, mouth open and eyes wide. She wouldn’t be surprised if she’d actually been stood there drooling. Shea wore a tight red backless dress with a plunging neckline and black kitten heels. Her hair was curled and sat like a frame around her face. It was a well-known fact that Sasha loved art; anyone could look at her and see that. But if you had placed her in a room full of her favourite paintings, from The Birth of Venus to Café Terrace at Night, Sasha could almost guarantee that she’d still be looking at Shea.

“Hey, you clean up real nice.” Shea grinned as Sasha twirled on the spot once she regained her composure.

“So do you, you look amazing.” Sasha exclaimed, returning the smile. Shea gave a mockingly humble shrug.

“Come on, let’s go. The others will be waiting for us.” Shea pulled Sasha towards the door and waited for her to lock it on the other side. They walked down the apartment building’s stairs until they reached the car park, chatting the whole way. The tension from earlier that day seemed to have lessened drastically, but Sasha was still watching her words. She certainly didn’t want to upset Shea again. Especially not on the first night they’d spent time together outside of work. Just the thought of it made Sasha nervous.

Shea held the passenger door open for Sasha before walking around to the other side of the car. They drove with music blaring, which Sasha wasn’t used to considering her daily commute was a bus, where most people offered a glare to anyone who even dared to cough. Sasha was happy to sing along to the song on the radio, only pausing to laugh with disbelief when Shea rapped the rap verses perfectly.

“I have more talents than just bossing you around, you know.” Shea laughed, tapping the side of her nose to indicate secrecy.

They arrived later than anyone else, and a drunken Aja managed to tell them that everyone else had been at the bar for 20 minutes. Sasha braced herself for one of Alexis’s infamous lectures, but the woman was enjoying a drink and didn’t seem to care less about their late arrival. Sasha and Shea took a seat next to her on the corner sofa that their group had migrated to. The pair both sat on the side adjacent to the bar, legs pressed together as they fought for space amidst their drunk co-workers.

Farrah was known for being a lightweight, but Sasha wouldn’t have been surprised if the woman had broken a record this time. It took her just over half an hour to start dancing on the tables, much to the bartender’s disdain. She was yelling and laughing, pulling an equally as drunk Kimora to dance with her. The pair had their eyes on men sat by the bar, and it was very clear that the men were equally as interested.

Shea laughed from her seat on the sectional sofa. They’d found themselves watching the younger women in their drunken antics, making the occasional comment to each other, Shea delighting in Sasha’s jokes.

“I need a drink if I’m going to forget that,” Sasha laughed with a grimace as she pointed to Farrah dancing up on one of the men, “you want anything Shea?”

She politely shook her head and watched Sasha amble over to the bar. She leaned towards the barman so he could hear her over the loud music, shouting out her order. When she turned around again to walk back to the group, two drinks in hand, she didn’t miss the scowl on Shea’s face. She didn’t realise what was wrong until she heard a catcall from the men on the bar stools.

Sitting down in her seat, she sat further back so that Shea’s body shielded her from their gaze. She leaned over and handed the margarita to Alexis, taking her own gin and tonic, placing it on her bare thigh. The bottom of the glass left a ring on her skin when she picked it up to take a sip, the alcohol warming her throat.

Sasha hadn’t realised how much she’d had to drink until Shea had commented on it. Shea had been talking to her, something about Farrah’s dancing, while Sasha stared up at her, a lazy smile on her face and a glazed expression in her eyes.

“-I don’t know who taught her that move, but they shouldn’t have. Damn, you’re really drunk aren’t you?” Shea laughed fondly as Sasha tried to comprehend what she was saying.

“Hey, Velour, come dance with us!” Kimora shouted from across the room, linking arms with Aja. Farrah had since sat down, barely able to stand. She was still breathing heavily as she curled up in Sasha’s spot on the sofa, an empty glass on the floor beside her.  
Sasha glanced up at Shea who answered for her, “Go on then girl,” nudging her in the direction of Kimora, whose arms were outstretched to hug her.

Aja twirled Sasha around on the wooden floor that had been proclaimed the dance floor by the locals. Sasha was largely unaware of her surroundings, only of Kimora dancing on a man by the bar and Aja’s hands clasped in her own as they span around, humming in time to the music.

The bartender had since added some dull strobe lights as dancing grew more popular with the people drinking, and the music had gotten louder. Sasha was only alert when she stumbled or when the strobe lights caught her eye, flashes of colour blinding her temporarily.

“Oh fuck I’m gonna puke.” Aja groaned, clutching her stomach. Sasha watched in concern as she grabbed a hold of whoever was closest to the bathroom, who happened to be Kimora, and pulled her through the ‘ladies’ door for assistance.

Sasha was left standing on her own and she stopped dancing facing the direction of the bathroom in concern. Once convinced that Kimora had it covered, she turned to look for Shea. She frowned when she noticed that she wasn’t sitting on the sofa as she had been before.

Sasha focused on searching for a glimpse of red, but she couldn’t see Shea anywhere in the bar, which in itself wasn’t that big. Although busy, Sasha knew that if Shea was in the bar somewhere she’d be able to spot her.

Sasha’s missteps had led her to the small garden outside the bar. Usually, the garden was full of people smoking, but it was unusually quiet. Sasha imagined it was because everyone was dancing inside the bar, too drunk to think about their next smoke break. Sasha knew Shea didn’t smoke, but she thought she might find the woman in the garden, getting some fresh air. She gave a heavy sigh when she realised that she’d been wrong.

With a slight stumble, she gripped the wall for balance. The brick wall of the bar’s exterior was cool, and Sasha was grateful for it when she pressed her back against the wall. The wall made her sturdier and gave her the courage to take another step around the corner, hoping to see Shea waiting for her there. Someone was stood around the corner, but it wasn’t Shea. A man stood; one foot rested on the wall, the other firmly on the ground. He didn’t seem drunk at all, but Sasha’s senses were hardly at their peak, so she couldn’t be sure.

“Sorry.” Sasha spoke, her words merging together as they slurred. The man’s attention turned to her, and she could just about see his smirk in the darkness. He slowly brought his foot to the ground so they were both firmly planted on the ground.

“It’s alright love. No worries.” The man spoke coyly, his voice much stronger and steadier than Sasha’s. She nodded politely and attempted to back away. Walking backwards proved difficult and she stumbled, only evoking a huff of amusement from the stranger.

“You don’t have to run away or anythin’. What’s your name?” The man asked, turning his body so that he faced Sasha. He was standing close to her now, close enough that Sasha was conscious of her own breath, tainted by intoxication. She didn’t have the mental capacity at that moment to weigh up the pros and cons of giving away that information.

“It’s Sasha.” She mumbled, scanning her surroundings with tired eyes. There was no one around, and Sasha was sure as hell not able to run anywhere.

The man’s hand has found its way onto Sasha’s arm and was working its way upwards when he paused. His eyes narrowed as he watched her frightened expression.

“As in, that Sasha Velour woman?” The man asked; the lustful smile wiped from his face. Sasha braced herself and took a deep breath. The man’s eyebrow rose as if prompting her to acknowledge her question. She gave a slight nod, and the man’s body tensed.

“So you were just gonna let me chat you up and make a fool of myself? You lesbians think that’s funny?” The man growled, his grip on Sasha’s arm growing in strength. His fingers left red marks on her arm, his chewed nails still managing to dig their way into her skin. Sasha flinched, trying to pull herself free.

“Let go.” Sasha spoke, making her voice as firm as she could. It still cracked, both from nerves and her dry throat. She wondered if the man had even heard her, because he showed no signs of acknowledgement. Instead, he just leered over her, his grip as strong as ever.

He leaned in closer when Sasha mumbled protests, her pounding head causing her disorientation.

“Have you ever been kissed by a man? I mean, a real man. Maybe that would solve all your problems.” The man sneered, holding Sasha’s jaw with his free hand. She pulled away, holding the corner wall in hopes of someone seeing her. Surely enough, she heard distant footsteps become louder and quicker.

“Hey fucker.” The newcomer called, pulling Sasha away from the man so they could confront him. Sasha’s eyes darted to her saviour, seeing a familiar red dress and dark hair. It was Shea who now stood in front of Sasha, separating her from the man. Farrah stood behind Shea, wrapping an arm around a shaking Sasha.

“Are you trying to protect that? You should be protecting me.” The man shouted with outrage. Shea paused for a moment, her mind clearly running with scenarios. She bit her lip for a second before balling her fists.

Shea’s punch came suddenly, knocking the man back as her fist made contact with his face, just under his jaw. He cried out angrily, swinging his own fist at Shea. It missed her as he was still regaining balance.

“Come on sweet, let’s get you inside.” Farrah gently pulled Sasha into the bar after giving Shea a meaningful look. After assessing that the woman would be fine, Farrah held the door open for Sasha to walk through.

Sasha sat on one of the barstools, as it was the only spare seat in the now very busy bar. Aja, Kimora and Alexis watched Sasha with concern. Aja and Kimora were arguably as drunk as Sasha, however, so didn’t bother sobering up to check on her. Farrah re-joined the others when Sasha had insisted that she was fine.

The bottles of alcohol glittered with colours, changing from red to blue with the strobe lights. It made Sasha feel dizzy and she shook her head gently to fix her swimming vision. Her head protested the sudden movement, and she held it with a grimace. In her disorientation, she hadn’t seen Shea pull up a stool next to her. When she noticed the woman, Sasha grinned widely.

“There’s my knight in shining armour.” Sasha hummed.

“You okay bitch?” Shea asked, shaking her head fondly at Sasha’s absentminded smile. Sasha nodded distractedly, but judging by her frown, something else caught her attention.

“Why aren’t you drinking?” Sasha asked curiously, her words slurring together. It took Shea a few moments to comprehend what she was saying.

“I don’t really drink.” Shea explained simply.  
“Then why did you come here?” Sasha asked, watching Shea with a curious stare. She reminded Shea of a young puppy when it tries to understand a command for the first time.

“Honestly, I came because I wanted to see you. That’s it.” Shea confessed, hoping Sasha wouldn’t notice the flush appearing on her face. In her current state, Shea doubted it.

“Why’d you tell me that?” Sasha grinned. She drew out her words, each one bringing more notice to the liquor on her breath.  
Shea just shrugged, “because I know you won’t remember this in the morning.” Sasha nodded in agreement, a gesture that read, ‘fair enough’.

Sasha’s eyes were wide, her brain only just beginning to process the situation she’d been in before. She checked Shea’s face worriedly, gasping gently when she saw blood on Shea’s knuckles.

She shrugged, as if claiming that she was fine. Sasha’s lips were still drawn into a smile, but it seemed to be forced, as if it were frozen on her face. It looked out of place with the panic in her eyes and her tense muscles. That was typical Sasha; even in her drunken stupor, her intelligent mind was still running wildly. She tucked her legs under the bar stool, as if that made her feel safer, and swivelled to face Shea. The other woman tried to disguise the concern from her expression.

“I like you.” Sasha mumbled; her empty vodka shot pressed to her lips.

“I’ll get Alexis to drive you home.” Shea announced, placing a kiss on Sasha’s cheek. Sasha brought up her hand to where Shea had kissed her, her hand shaking slightly.

She watched Shea as she walked away, not sober enough to call out to her. Instead, she pouted on her stool until Alexis walked over, handbag slung over her shoulder, wrapping an arm around Sasha’s waist as she brought her to the powder blue fiat waiting outside.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasha and Shea’s relationship develops, and as feelings come to the surface, their lives become even more complicated when they’re acted upon

The amber tinted glass of Sasha’s round sunglasses didn’t effectively block out the sunlight that seeped through the window adjacent to her desk. She winced every time she shifted her body and a beam of light blinded her. Her headache felt as though an anaconda had wrapped its body around her forehead, squeezing tighter anytime she tried to concentrate. She groaned under her breath so that she didn’t draw Alexis’s attention, who was already on her case for wearing unnecessarily orange glasses. Sasha’s co-worker was superstitious to say the least and she had already complained twice about Sasha passing on her bad luck.

“How’re you doing?” The words, whilst spoken in a singsong voice, were almost taunting to Sasha. She spun her chair around and faced the newcomer with a scowl. Shea laughed when she saw the expression on Sasha’s face, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. Sasha rested her cheek on Shea’s hand with a groan, which only amused Shea further. Perching on the clutter free side of Sasha’s desk, Shea laughed when Sasha winced, the conversation not helping her dry throat.

“I’ve seen you drunk before. Hell, I’ve seen you offer a man three hundred dollars to bring your drink from the table in front of you to your hand but this is bad, even for you.” Shea chuckled, her raised eyebrows emphasising her disbelief. Sasha only watched her with a pout, her face flushed with embarrassment.

“Oh don’t,” Sasha whined with a laugh, “I’ve already spent the morning feeling like a disobedient child after one of Alexis’s infamous lectures. If I didn’t have a headache before coming in this morning, I sure as hell had one after that. Why doesn’t she lecture Farrah, she was just as bad as I was.”

“It’s ‘cause she cares about you. She sees you like her delinquent kid. On second thoughts, maybe one of those baby sheep that goes the wrong way when the sheepdog tries to herd it up. I suppose that would make Alexis a farmer, but I can’t see her driving a tractor.” Shea mused aloud, her eyes narrowed as she thought. Sasha laughed loudly, her red lips curving into a wide smile as she imagined her glamorous co-worker in that situation.

“You’re thinking way too much into this. Also, who calls a lamb a baby sheep?” Sasha shook her head fondly while Shea let her jaw drop in offense, giving Sasha the finger secretly so no one else in the room would see. Shea prided herself on her professional façade, especially as the only one able to see past it was Sasha.

“Bitch, that’s what it is.” Shea laughed, shrugging with stubbornness. Her pout only made Sasha laugh more.

“Shea, you don’t call children baby people do you?” She smirked, knowing she’d won their playful argument when Shea muttered “Touché smartass” under her breath.

“So, what’s on your busy schedule for today?” Sasha asked; her curious smile surprisingly bright considering her current state.

“I wanted to make sure you’re alright after the other night, and then I’ve got some dumb meetings. Eureka’s been on my dick trying to get me to organise my finance meeting.” Shea rolled her eyes to express her exasperation.

Sasha’s smile faltered at the mention of the previous night. She couldn’t remember much of what happened, but she knew Shea and Farrah had protected her. She opted to keep it as a forgotten memory, as it deeply concerned all her co-workers. Even Trinity and Eureka had been on the phone all morning, complaining to the bar they’d gone to. Everyone thought that her safety was their responsibility, but Sasha had an inkling that her bosses were worried about what the press would have to say.

Shea watched her worriedly, noticing the change in expression on her co-worker’s face. Sasha’s mouth stretched in a reassuring smile.

“See, you’re a successful woman now, your own meetings and everything. I have to write a report for our next live show. Who knew our jobs consisted of more than just sitting and smiling?” Sasha joked, poking Shea in the arm.

“I’ll help you when I’m finished with the meeting.” Shea promised, crossing her fingers as a gesture.

“Sounds good, thanks. I wish I could sit in on your meeting, it’d be a nice change seeing you be professional.” Sasha smiled cheekily when Shea lightly hit her on the arm in offense.

“Shame you don’t get paid for being shady. Also, it’d be terrible if you came to the meeting, you’d make me laugh and get my ass fired.” Shea laughed loudly, and the sound made the people working around them look up in irritation. Alexis had put in her earphones, blocking out their chatter, but the staff that weren’t used to the pair just shushed them in annoyance. Shea muttered an apology, suddenly conscious of the volume of her voice.

“Good luck with your meeting,” Sasha whispered as Shea was called over by Kimora, “break a leg.”

Shea shook her head and tried not to smile, and muttering, “I’ll get you later” before brushing down her dress and adjusting her long hair so that it sat behind her shoulders, reaching to the small of her back. She disappeared through the doors after Kimora told her that Trinity had requested her, leaving Sasha to sit alone in silence.

Sasha sat cross-legged on her chair, watching the door as it closed behind Shea. She struggled to concentrate on her work as she glanced around the room. Farrah and Aja were sat in one corner of the room beside the camera crew, complaining about the coffee Farrah had bought from the stand down the street. Farrah’s nose wrinkled dramatically as she took a sip from Aja’s cup, as if it was worse than her own. Aja was less bothered by the coffee, but still narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the taste.

On the other side, both Trinity and Eureka’s assistants stood hovering by the printer, chatting absentmindedly as they waited. Sasha liked both Valentina and Kimora; they managed to distract each other almost as much as Sasha and Shea. She also appreciated that both women brought Sasha lunch or coffee whenever they went to pick something up for their bosses.

They noticed Sasha glancing at them and waved, laughing when she expressed her boredom to them. The only other person, aside from the directors and camera crew, in the room was Alexis, but she was happily minding her own business without the company of co-workers. Sasha had always wondered whether or not Alexis was lonely, so she tried to reach out to her whenever possible. Judging by her intolerance of both Sasha and Shea, she decided that Alexis just wasn’t a people person.

She finally turned her attention back to her work, shifting the mouse next to her computer so the black screen changed back to the google search bar. She’d typed only ‘what’ into the search engine, but she was determined to finish her report. It was nearly five in the evening, and she had to get it done before she left. She groaned loudly after writing a paragraph, although she did have to admit it was a very good paragraph.

“Do you have to whine like Farrah goddamn Moan? I can hear you through my earphones.” Alexis snapped, turning her chair so she was staring accusingly at Sasha.

“Just turn your music up if I’m bothering you darling.” Sasha countered, typing on her keyboard while still keeping strong eye contact with Alexis, as if proving her productivity.

Alexis rolled her eyes and showed Sasha her phone screen as she turned up the volume to its maximum. Sasha winced when she heard the music through Alexis’s phone and, when Alexis noticed her discomfort; she turned away with a smug smile.

Sasha wondered when she’d grown fond of Alexis. Maybe it was the motherly complaining or the rolling eyes, but Sasha couldn’t deny that she smiled whenever Alexis yelled at her. Not that she’d ever admit that to Alexis.

Sasha hadn’t heard Shea approach until she scraped her chair across the floor over to Sasha’s desk, the loud noise hurting her sensitive ears. Her headache had disappeared around lunch, and she was determined not to bring it back.

“How’s the report coming on?” Shea asked, sitting down next to Sasha. She rested her elbow on the table and leaned forward, looking for the document on her computer.

“Well, I’ve written an introductory paragraph, but I got distracted by my boredom and Alexis’s terrible taste in music.” Sasha shrugged, gesturing to Alexis. She had her earphones in, but the music was loud enough for the pair to be able to make out the lyrics from where they sat. Shea smirked at the unaware woman adjacent to them.

“God, you’re lucky you’re pretty,” Shea’s voice trailed off when she saw the smirk on Sasha’s face. Shea blushed and focused on the computer screen, not looking Sasha in the eyes.

They sat together for an hour, Shea calling out ideas as Sasha typed. Even Alexis, who had sent in numerous noise complaints about them, couldn’t deny that they worked together like clockwork. Their co-workers muttered goodbyes to the room when their shift ended, but neither woman noticed as they were lost in their teamwork, only pausing to appreciate their success. Trinity called them the dream team when they’d first started working; but that was largely because she had often forgotten their names or called them by the wrong one.

Sasha sat back in her chair with satisfaction when she sent off the report to Eureka, who’d agreed to look over it for her. She called out happily as the clock hit six thirty and they were able to go home.

“Only took us half an hour of overtime, not bad at all.” Shea gestured wildly. Her hand flew down onto Sasha’s thigh as Shea logged off the computer with a smug nod.

“I’ll walk you to the bus stop.” Shea offered, quickly removing her hand from Sasha’s thigh when the latter turned to look at her. Sasha smiled and took her bag from where it hung on the back of her desk chair. The many pins and badges clattered together as she slung it over her shoulder. She waited for Shea to get her coat from her own desk, folding the teal trench coat over her arm.  
Sasha held the door open as she waited for Shea, who laughed at the gesture, “Oh she’s a gentleman now.”

Farrah was upset to see them go when the said goodbye at her desk, upset at having to work extra time without the company of the others. The papers were stacked up on her desk, and Sasha was concerned that she was using the pile for two mugs, one empty and one filled with fresh coffee. She could see the coffee rings forming on the paper, but Farrah seemed unfazed by this development.

“It’s not fair, what’ve I done to deserve this? I don’t want to stay here without all of you, it’s boring. I don’t wanna work.” Farrah whined, her lips drawn into a dramatic pout. Shea caught Sasha’s eye as she tried to hold in laughter. Shea’s favourite joke of Sasha’s was her impersonation of Farrah. Sasha had a sparkle in her eyes, and Shea knew it was a sign that the woman had been given some new material.

“See you later Farrah.” Shea called as she followed Sasha out the door into the quiet streets. The shops had since closed and most people were home from work, and Sasha enjoyed the peacefulness of the evening. She noticed Shea watching her, smiling fondly as Sasha happily took in her surroundings.

They turned the corner that was next to the entrance of the building where Sasha usually waited for the bus to pull up on the other side of the road when the street was too busy. The brick of the wall was hidden by graffiti, a mixture of signatures and political messages. She could feel Shea standing closely behind her, her hand brushing Sasha’s back. Sasha turned so that she was face to face with Shea, meeting her deep stare.

“What happens if we both get into trouble?” Sasha asked; her voice breathy as it hitched. She was conscious of how close Shea was; her warm breath on the back of Sasha’s neck when she exhaled. Sasha was scared, but it wasn’t the kind of fear she experienced when she’d been thrown into the ocean as a dare in high school, trapped under the icy waves. This fear wasn’t cold though, it was warm. She didn’t feel as if she was drowning, she felt alive.

“Then we’ll have nothing to lose.” Shea answered, her confidence battling with her nerves. Sasha found herself looking at Shea’s lips. They were full, much more so than Sasha’s even when she over lined them. Now, they were lined in a plum colour and filled with a pinkish gloss. Sasha couldn’t help but notice the way the sunlight caught them and made them shine.

It wasn’t a surprise when Shea initiated the kiss, suddenly leaning forward to crash her lips onto Sasha’s. Shea was fearless; and that was exactly what they both needed. Sasha was pressed up against the wall of the building, Shea’s body pressed up against hers. Sasha could feel the coolness of the brick through the thin fabric of her button-up shirt.

There was no hesitation of passion, and neither woman wasted the limited time they had before someone inevitably caught them. Shea fought for power, enjoying the whines that Sasha made when Shea hands explored her body, her touch like fire on her porcelain skin. Sasha struggled for control herself, deepening the kiss whenever Shea pulled her closer. The lip gloss on Shea’s lips had since rubbed off onto Sasha’s but they still tasted of vanilla. Their tongues danced together awkwardly, exploring each other’s mouths. Sasha was thankful that she’d taken the peppermint that Alexis had offered her earlier and, by the taste of it, Alexis had offered one to Shea too.

Their noses had been pressed together and they pulled apart to breathe. Sasha hadn’t realised how breathless she’d been until she took in a gulp of air. Both herself and Shea were synchronised as they breathed in short pants of excitement. Their bodies were still close together, and Sasha could feel the heat of Shea’s skin on her own. It wasn’t particularly warm, and it had gotten colder through the duration of the day, but neither woman could feel the cold air.

“Come on, I’ll drive you home.” Shea murmured; her hand still tangled in Sasha’s short hair. Sasha stared up at her with wide eyes, but nodded gratefully.

No one spoke throughout the time of the ride home; the only sound was the gentle tap of Shea’s acrylic nails on the steering wheel. Sasha’s hand rested on the edge of her seat and, at some point during a traffic light, she’d found Shea’s hand placed over her own.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shea gets let off the hook when the press question her about their night out, which angers Sasha, and the pair make a deal.

“Velour, get yourself over here.” The voice was strong and powerful, causing a disruption through the room. The sheer volume of the bellow caused the bystanders to spin around and look at Sasha, the pairs of eyes glinting with curiosity. Sasha wrinkled her nose and put her hand to her forehead as she tried to shield away the embarrassment. She shrank down behind her desk, hiding herself behind her computer.

“Just another normal day at the office.” Alexis muttered, seemingly indifferent to the noise. She was more irritated by the lack of work being done and the disruption than the actual sound.

The source of the voice had been Eureka, who was standing impatiently in the doorway of her office, yelling across the hall. She gripped the hem of her dress in frustration, her knuckles turning white from the pressure. Her face was flushed a deep red, and Sasha could see her gritted teeth even over the distance she was standing. Sasha bit her lip and walked over, purposely avoiding eye contact with Shea, who was trying not to laugh. Sasha got in enough trouble with Eureka, who desperately disliked the woman, for Shea not to be worried.

Eureka was taller than Sasha, and she loomed over her like a storm cloud. At least, Sasha felt like she was trapped in a storm when Eureka pulled her aside.  
“Why the hell didn’t you tell me about what happened on Friday? The press are sticking their noses in after the man threatened to sue. Your public meeting is in a few days, this could be devastating.” Eureka screamed, only a hint of sympathy in her eyes, like a tiny fleck. She had a similar work ethic to Alexis, Sasha had once mused, but when Alexis screamed, it was out of love. She couldn’t say the same for Eureka.

“What did you want me to say? It wasn’t even me who touched him, he touched me.” Sasha’s body shook as she thought about it. Her memory of the events had come back with her soberness and slips of the tongue from her co-workers.

“I know what you’re implying and, yes, Shea is speaking at a press conference later today to explain what she did. It’s been advised that you don’t speak, so you’ll need to tell Shea what you want her to say on your behalf.” Eureka informed; her voice quieter than before, which was a relief to Sasha.

The man Shea had fought at the bar had wasted no time going to the press about it, claiming he’d been harassed by her. Sasha and the rest of the office could only stare on in horror as his story made it into gossip magazines and newspapers. There had been no mention of Shea’s reasoning, or the incident with Sasha, and she couldn’t help but feel guilty about it. It was her fault Shea was in this position.

“That’s great but what about the guy? Doesn’t he get in trouble?” Sasha complained, her eyes narrowed in disbelief.

“That’s up to the police and our company lawyers. Even if you didn’t, Alexis and Shea took the matter to Trinity and reported it. Hopefully Shea’s conference will back us up and we can get him prosecuted.” Eureka shrugged. Sasha wanted to argue further but Eureka already looked tired of the conversation.

“Talk to Shea before lunchtime and we’ll go from there.” Eureka dismissed her with a wave of her manicured hand. Sasha turned towards the door and rolled her eyes, muttering a half-hearted goodbye to Eureka.

Sasha trudged away, defeated, as Eureka watched her leave. Everyone in the room, who had been pretending they weren’t trying to listen, turned their attention back to their computers so that they could avoid eye contact. Shea, on the other hand, waved to get her attention. Sasha walked over to her desk with a smile.

“So,” Shea sung, “what was all that about?”

Sasha rolled her eyes, “She yelled at me for not telling her about the, y’know, incident even though Trinity has already reported it, so there’s nothing she can do. Oh, and she wants me to compile a list of things for you to say for me, because I’m incapable of speaking for myself.”

“Well that’s classic Eureka isn’t it? Just tell me what you want me to say, if it means you get to avoid the press and journalists then it’s worth it.” She shrugged, jabbing her computer screen with her finger to indicate that Sasha should email her. Sasha enjoyed their email threads, mostly because it meant she got to talk to Shea without being told off for being unproductive. She had decided that what her bosses didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them, and at least she looked like she was doing some work. However, they were much less fun when the emails were about actual work.

“Thanks Shea. You have time to get lunch or are you busy actually doing good work?” Sasha joked, eyes flickering over to Shea’s work space, not a piece of paper, file or a note in sight.

“I’m afraid so. I’ll catch you after lunch; I’ll need some good luck.” Shea winked as she uncrossed her legs and leaned back in her chair.

“I’ll be here, don’t worry. And you’ll do fine, everyone will love you.” Sasha reassured when Shea looked worried. Aja called her name, yelling about Trinity’s request to see her and discuss what she was going to say. Shea squeezed her shoulder as she said goodbye and walked over to Trinity’s office.

Sasha was bored. Everyone was outside with the cameramen, watching the excitement unfold outside their building. She had been left alone to do work, but she couldn’t help but be distracted as she stared out of the window. She sat with an apple held limply in her hand, and she distractedly took a bite whenever she remembered that it was in her hand.

Sasha’s eyes narrowed when the flashes of a camera blurred her vision through the other side of the window. It belonged to the cameraman who worked for the Brooklyn Daily. Sasha never really read the newspaper, since her parents never believed it its stories when she was younger, but she’d done a story with their lead editor. The woman, Peppermint, was a charismatic New Yorker who had captured many fans from her light-hearted, fun writing. Sasha had only met her twice but, as a trans- woman, Peppermint seemed to be the only person who didn’t seem uncomfortable around her, and it was a refreshing change from the public’s homophobia.

Sasha could see Peppermint standing beside the cameraman, speaking to Shea with a microphone in her hand. Shea had met the editor more times than Sasha, and the two got on well. They joked around for a bit, and Sasha could see them laughing from her desk. Everyone was standing outside watching, but Trinity hadn’t let either Sasha or Farrah join the others, claiming that their big mouths would get them into trouble. Farrah hadn’t minded; instead she’d found herself in Trinity’s office watching television. Sasha, however, was having much less fun.

She couldn’t hear much through the window, but by the look of everyone’s expressions, Shea was winning them over. She was good at that. Shea took the microphone in her hands and spoke, something Sasha couldn’t understand, and the audience laughed. Peppermint punched Shea gently on the arm, her head thrown back in laughter.

“What the hell are you doing in here? We have the run of the office while everyone’s watching Shea and Trinity. We can run wild.” Farrah spun on the spot with an evil laugh. Sasha laughed and stood up to steady Farrah after she stumbled dizzily.

“Come on Farrah, we’re not animals. Besides, they’re talking about me; I wanna know what they’re saying.” Sasha argued. Farrah shrugged and leaned on the wall next to Sasha to watch the conference below them.

“Oh, just ask Shea later or read the damn newspaper when the story comes out. Aja told me the vending machine is on the verge of death, if we kick it enough we might get the free stuff. Come help me.” Farrah grabbed Sasha’s hand while she groaned in annoyance. She dragged Sasha into the corner where the crew took their breaks, two old arm chairs on either side of a rusted vending machine. The red paint had faded from years of wear, and the machine itself looked about fifty years old. Everyone in News Office had placed bets around Sasha’s third day at her desk on how long it would take for it to break and send free snacks into the hands of whoever won the bet. Years later, the machine had begun to seem indestructible.

“I don’t believe that for a second.” Sasha laughed, moving aside to watch Farrah hit the glass of the machine with her outspread hand. She groaned when nothing happened, the snacks still sitting tauntingly in their slots.

Sasha kicked the bottom machine to humour Farrah, listening to the woman shout in victory when she thought she saw the snacks become unsteady.

“So, have you heard anything new about your meeting? Are they letting you speak?” Farrah asked in between punches of the machine, her brilliant blue eyes filled with questions.

“I know it’s after office hours, so none of you lot can eavesdrop. They’re bringing in some members of the public, Trinity, Eureka and I’m pretty sure some journalists too. I think Trinity wants me to make a statement, but she’s worried I’ll ruin it for myself again. She’ll probably coach me on what to say anyway, so I shouldn’t be worried.” Sasha shrugged, forcing a smile to counteract the pout on Farrah’s face. Farrah stopped moving, the kicks and punches stopping, as she watched Sasha.

“I’m sorry this is happening, this is so shit. You shouldn’t have to justify calling out a homophobe. I can’t relate but I kissed a girl in college and Aja at the Christmas party once…well, anyway, you get what I’m saying.” Farrah fumbled through her words, a rosy blush on her cheeks. Sasha patted her on the shoulder to show that she appreciated the younger woman’s efforts.

“There’s nothing we can do about it, it’s the public’s fault. I’m bringing views down because they don’t like someone gay telling them the news.” Sasha wasn’t great at hiding her feelings, and Farrah was obviously sensing her discomfort.

“Don’t worry about it till Thursday. Come on, this is just useless. Let me get you some chocolate instead of trying to pay with punches.” Farrah put some change in the slot, halving the bar with Sasha. She took it with a grateful smile, listening to Farrah ramble about some gossip Kimora told her. She was talking too fast for Sasha to understand, but she nodded along anyway. She was thankful when the door swung open and Shea, Trinity and Eureka walked through.

Everyone looked as though they were in a good mood, and Sasha felt relieved when the atmosphere remained as light as it had been when it was just herself and Farrah. Shea’s charismatic smile was shot in Sasha’s direction over Eureka’s shoulder as the woman had been talking to her. When Eureka walked away, she shot Sasha a quick look, but it didn’t seem to hold any malice. Trinity had smiled at her, but that was normal. Towards Sasha, Eureka had a father’s disappointment, but Trinity had a mother’s affection.

“Peppermint told me to say hi. She’s a nice woman; we should get her on the show more often.” Shea greeted as Sasha walked over to her.

“Yeah, she’s great isn’t she? The three of us would make quite a team.” Sasha mused aloud. Shea nodded in agreement.

“Were you trying to get free snacks without me? I thought you were better than that.” Shea held her hand over her head in mock offense.

“Sorry, the snacks wait for no man. We didn’t do it though, guess karma is a bitch.” Sasha argued with a laugh. Her laugh was deep, and sometimes she felt uncomfortable laughing with Shea, whose own laugh was musical and light. Shea loved it though, and she often said it made her laugh harder than the joke itself.

“Aren’t you curious about what happened?” Shea teased with a smile when Sasha stepped towards her.

“You,” Sasha poked her lightly in the chest, “have to tell me everything. I’ve been waiting for hours to find out what happened.”

“I was so nervous. I sat down with Peppermint who was taking notes, and these bitches with cameras wouldn’t get out my face. But she asked me all about punching that guy, and how it affected you and stuff. She straight up called me a hero when I told her what happened. It was real sweet.” Shea smiled. It faltered slightly when she saw Sasha’s blank expression.

“Wait, so when you attack a homophobe you’re a hero, but when I do it I’m ‘threateningly aggressive’? I didn’t even touch the guy, I just yelled at him. Why do people think it’s fine for someone straight to stand up for gay people, but not someone actually gay?” Sasha frowned.

Shea put her hands up in defence, “Hey don’t get all social justice on me, it’s not my fault. I stuck up for you. Peppermint told me she’d write a really good article for you. Also, I’m not even straight.”

“Yeah, but you are as far as they know. Doesn’t the hypocrisy bother you though, Shea?” Sasha asked; her eyes boring into Shea’s.

“Yeah of course, but I feel like you’re blaming me for something I can’t help.” Shea shrugged; her gesture apologetic.

Sasha knew it wasn’t Shea’s fault. If anything, Shea was the only person trying to help her. But anger had manifested itself in her mind and she didn’t care who was standing in front of her. Even with Peppermint’s story, Sasha was still going to get fired for no reason. She sighed deeply, wondering why no one had warned her to watch her mouth before she interviewed a homophobe. She supposed, though, she probably wouldn’t have listened.

“I’m sorry, Shea.” Sasha offered sheepishly, handing Shea the last square of chocolate she had. Shea took the peace offering eagerly.

“Don’t worry about it. Go grab your bag and shit, I’ll take you home.” Shea grinned, gesturing to Sasha’s cluttered desk. Sasha thanked her and walked over towards her desk, logging off her computer as she reached for her jacket and bag. She walked around the front of her desk to say goodbye to Alexis, who was taking her pencils from Kimora after catching her throwing them at Aja.

Sasha rolled her eyes when Alexis gave her a meaningful look as she saw Shea waiting for her by the door. Desperate to get out of the situation, she sped out of the door, almost tripping down the stairs.

Shea skipped up to Sasha to catch up with her, opting instead for a saunter when Sasha looked up to greet her. She laughed at the change of pace, wondering when Shea had ever made the effort to act cool around her. She supposed, though, things had changed. Sasha had been lost in thought as always, and Shea lightly punched her on the shoulder as she shook her head. Sasha furrowed her eyebrows in offense and Shea laughed at her. She was glad things hadn’t changed that much.

“Let me take you on a date, Sash.” Shea asked, the sudden proposal catching Sasha by surprise. Shea was always forthright, and she waited impatiently for a response from her still stunned co-worker.

“Shea, you know we can’t do this. I want to, but we’d both be out of a job and-” Sasha was cut off by Shea waving her hand to quieten her. There wasn’t hurt in her eyes like before, Shea’s ebony eyes only held frustration. For some reason, that unnerved Sasha more than anything.

“We can try. They don’t have to know.” Shea countered, gesturing vaguely in the direction of Trinity and Eureka’s offices.

Sasha’s eyes followed Shea’s gesture, only seeing the closed blinds and shut doors of the offices across the corridor.  
Sasha shook her head with a slight laugh, “And I thought I was the bad influence, darling. But it’s not even about being gay; co-workers aren’t allowed to date, especially when one of them is the boss.” Shea bit her lip, knowing that Sasha was right.

“You know what, Sasha Velour? Let’s make a deal. If I can take you on one date without anyone getting suspicious, you’ll let me take you on another.” Shea offered, sticking her hand out in front of Sasha, waiting for her to shake.

“And what’s in it for me, Miss Coulee?” Sasha smirked. She was teasing; and Shea knew it when Sasha reached out to shake her hand regardless of her question.

“You get the fabulous prize of a date with me.” Shea grinned, giving Sasha a quick peck on the lips before slinging her bag over her shoulder and making her way over to the door.

“Hang on, you’re my ride, idiot.” Sasha laughed as she sped up to walk beside Shea, who held the door open for her with her foot. Shea winked and put her hand on the small of Sasha’s back, only taking it off when they encountered Farrah painting her nails at her desk.

She stained the desk surface with pink polish and swore, hardly noticing the pair. She picked up the box of tissues next to her laptop and used a few to wipe away the nail polish. It didn’t work and she groaned loudly, merely waving the two women away as she dealt with her problem.

Shea guided Sasha to where she’d parked on the road opposite their building. Sasha hadn’t been sure when they’d started holding hands, but she was sure it had been when their hands had swung a bit too close together. Shea was softer than Sasha had realised before, and she had a habit of clasping Sasha’s hand in her own. Of course, she had never minded.

Sasha was jealous of Shea’s slick black Mazda, particularly because it meant she earned enough to actually afford a car and its gas, whereas Sasha could barely afford the bus fares.She stepped into the passenger seat as Shea switched on the radio before putting the car into motion. She turned up the music, switching the station until they both agreed on a song.

Sasha laughed as Shea launched into a song, smiling smugly before she rapped the verse after it. Sasha tried to join in but stumbled, making Shea clap gleefully. They drove off into the direction of Sasha’s apartment, Sasha drumming on the dashboard as Shea sung loudly.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shea takes Sasha on her mystery date, the day before her public meeting, which leads fk confessions, even more emotions, and a problematic photographer.

In Sasha’s opinion, the best part of her workplace was the dress code. Blazers, pencil skirts and shirts were definitely to her fashion sense, and she loved the thrifting opportunities that a mandatory smart jacket provided. 

Her endless supply of artsy blazers paired perfectly with her work. However, this presented one problem; there was a blurred line between her casual and work clothes, meaning she had little to wear for a date. 

She’d picked out a number of contenders, including a red cocktail dress she’d reluctantly bought for a wedding, and a dark blue strapless dress from last year’s office Christmas party. 

However, she’d deemed them all unacceptable, and she’d collapsed on her bed. Her eyes shifted to her wardrobe and she spotted a dress hidden behind one of her jumpers. Sasha tried on the deep red collared wrap dress, spinning in front of the mirror once satisfied. 

She didn’t know where she was going, and Shea had found immense delight in keeping it a secret from her. 

Sasha had been fussing around for hours now, pacing around her bedroom since she’d gotten home from work. Shea was due any moment, and Sasha took a deep breath. She’d barely spent any time with Shea outside of work, especially not alone. 

Her brain had only just begun to process the possible change in dynamic as the doorbell rang out, and she heard Shea shout a greeting. Sasha stared at the door for a moment, smiling as she saw Shea tapping her foot under the gap.

Sasha wondered if she was just as nervous as she was. 

Sasha’s hands shook as she reached over to open the door, and she couldn’t decide if it was from nerves or excitement. She decided, judging by the butterflies dancing in her stomach, that it was a bit of both. 

Shea wore a tight white dress that cut off at her thigh, a flannel shirt the colour of butterscotch tied around her waist. 

Her glossy ebony hair hung over her shoulders, framing her face. Shea’s makeup was more dramatic than Sasha was used to; thick eyeliner and dark red lips. She smiled widely as Sasha moved aside to let her in, mouth agape, blushing slightly. Sasha’s bewildered expression mirrored Shea’s as they looked each other up and down, taking in each other’s appearances. 

“You look,” Shea cleared her throat, “amazing.” Sasha struggled to find the words to describe Shea, and settled with a soft, “you too.” 

Shea was romantic. She was like a poet with her words, and it often left Sasha pathetically lost in wonder when she spoke. Shea was softer than she liked to show, she was gentle and careful, but now she stumbled through their greeting almost as clumsily as Sasha. 

Sasha decided that Shea’s speechlessness was a compliment, and one she was easily able to return as she stared in Shea’s direction. 

“You ready to tell me where we’re going yet?” 

Sasha asked as she picked up her bag from where she’d hung it over a dining chair, before walking back over to where Shea was waiting for her. Shea tapped the side of her nose teasingly, a playful gleam in her dark eyes. Sasha sighed, exasperated. 

“God, you’re so impatient. It’s a short car ride, half an hour at most. Let’s go, or we’ll be late.” Shea gestured to the door, laughing when Sasha narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out clues from her words. 

“So it’s something you have to book? Is it a show or a concert?” Sasha asked, weakly attempting to unravel Shea. The other woman just shook her head with a light laugh, walking out the door Sasha was holding open for her. Sasha locked it after she’d walked out, allowing Shea to lead the way down the building’s corridor. 

Sasha was grateful that her apartment was on the ground floor. She didn’t appreciate the noise of the people walking past her window late in the evening, or howling cats sat on the brick walls surrounding her side of the building, but it meant she got to avoid all the painful stairs in the morning. Plus, it was easy to navigate after drunken mishaps in the dead of night. 

A small staircase outside the building led to the car park where Shea had left her car. Sasha climbed into the passenger seat as she had many times before, leaning back into the comfortable faux leather seat. Shea hummed along to the radio as she drove out of the car park and onto the busy Brooklyn streets. Sasha laughed along to Shea’s loud rapping, messing up almost all of the lyrics. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever been this side of Brooklyn.” Sasha mused aloud as she glanced at the rows of shops lining each side of the street. She’d never heard of any of them before, aside from the odd popular clothes shop flooded with teenagers. Shea huffed with laughter.

“Jesus, have you ever even left your house?” She teased, taking one hand off the steering wheel to poke Sasha. 

“Excuse me; I just need someone cool like you to show me the night life.” Sasha retorted with a huff, the subtle invitation hanging in the air. Shea smiled widely, turning the car suddenly into a narrow road. She parked the car smoothly in the only available gap, punching the air triumphantly as the car behind them cursed the lack of spaces. 

“Are you ready?” Shea asked before they turned the corner. Sasha felt a warm feeling as she watched Shea, who seemed overly excited to show Sasha where they were. 

“As I’ll ever be darling.” Sasha grinned, taking Shea’s hand in her own. Shea pulled Sasha around to the other side of the tall wall, into the big square ahead of them. 

“Is there anywhere else I could’ve taken you?” Shea said fondly, watching in amusement as Sasha’s eyes lit up in excitement. 

The building, the Brooklyn museum, looked like art itself, statues and gargoyles carved into the stone. Six great pillars stood guarding the front of the building, with flags hanging from each one, advertising the art on display. 

Sasha glanced up from the steps they were stood on, eyes shooting from one window to the next, taking in the sight in front of her. Shea laughed as she tugged on Sasha’s arm to get her attention, pulling her from her trance. 

Sasha skipped through the glass doors that separated her from the museum, her eyes instantly drawn to the tall, grand ceiling decorated by paintings and carvings. Shea nudged her away from the entrance of the door after people muttered complaints about her being in the way. 

“Shea,” Sasha called to get her attention as she placed her finger on the leaflet in her hand to trace the words as she read them, “Black Radical Women 1965-85, feminist art on the 4th floor.”   
“Oh god, feminism and art, it’s a Sasha Velour wet dream.” Shea teased, allowing herself to be led towards the stairs by Sasha. 

Of course, the inspiration of the date had been Sasha’s love for art. She’d talk wishfully about visiting the museum, and when Shea had asked, she’d simply said she’d never found the time nor the person to go with. Shea knew she could fix that. 

But now, seeing how Sasha’s face lit up and how her eyes gleamed, she wondered why she’d never taken the woman to the museum before. Sasha’s hands reached out for Shea’s arm, and she linked with her, one hand placed gently on Shea’s arm.  
They walked up the marble stairs, heels echoing around the large hall they had walked in.

Sasha’s heels clicked against the marble, and they were already starting to hurt her feet. They were taller than the heels she normally wore to work, as she’d wanted to give the impression that her legs were as long as Shea’s. 

Shea still had a slight height advantage, even though her own heels were small enough to barely affect her height. But Sasha forgot her pain when her eyes caught sight of the exhibit at the top of the stairs. 

“That piece is Camille Billops,” Sasha exclaimed as she pointed to the first painting they walked past. It was black and white abstract shapes of women, trees and animals painted into the beige background. 

Shea’s attention was drawn to the next artist beside the one Sasha was viewing. 

It contrasted with the previous art, people dancing and playing instruments painted in bold, bright colours. The background contained the same message in different colours: ‘black children keep your spirits free’. Sasha skipped up to Shea to see what caught her interest. “I know this one, it’s Carolyn Lawrence.” Shea pointed to it, laughing when Sasha beamed proudly. 

“I knew you’d fall in love with art too. You can’t help it here.” Sasha grinned, squeezing Shea’s hand.

Shea rolled her eyes, muttering something about Sasha being a dork before she was dragged over to the next collection of art. Sasha described each piece she recognised, sparing Shea no detail about its origin or artist. Shea pretended that her heart didn’t speed up whenever she saw the enthusiastic sparkle in Sasha’s eyes, and she acted as if she didn’t want to kiss Sasha whenever she rambled on about her favourite part of each artwork. 

They slowly made their way to the other side of the museum, spending hours at each exhibit along the way. Even Sasha was starting to slow down now, her shoulders slumping tiredly as she launched into another artistic ramble. 

“Let’s go grab some coffee, you’ve nerded out enough for one day.” Shea encouraged Sasha to walk away from the exhibit ahead of her. Sasha looked through the large window longingly to the coffee shop across the park and allowed Shea to drag her out of the museum. 

The coffee shop was narrow and warm, with brick walls inside and plants in glass pots. There were only two people remaining in the shop, both sipping coffees absentmindedly as they typed away on computers. 

Shea took Sasha over to a booth opposite them. There were small paintings hung inside the booth, which looked natural considering the art collection across the street. Sasha was glad to see the whole street seemed to share her love of art, not just the museum it was kept in. 

Sasha swirled the chocolate powder into her mocha, complaining that it tasted bitter on its own. She watched Shea as she leaned forward to take her latte from the hands of the barista who had brought it to their table. 

The barista offered both women a smile, shyly complimenting them on their work as news anchors and their show. Sasha smiled to herself when she saw a rainbow badge pinned to the young girl’s apron, before she left them to wait another table. 

“You know, today was actually perfect,” Sasha announced, the nervous feeling fleeting away as soon as conversation with Shea began. 

“If I thought you were a dork at work, you sure outdid yourself today,” Shea teased, “seriously though; I loved spending time with you.” 

“I wonder what Alexis would say if she saw us now.” Sasha laughed, hiding her smirk behind her mug as she took a sip of coffee. 

“She’d smack me for what I’m about to say. But I like you,” Shea mumbled, “like, I-don’t-care-about-my-job like you.” 

Sasha looked into Shea’s eyes and found a raw honesty there that frightened her. 

“This job is everything to you Shea. You’ve worked so hard for this. Who the hell am I to take it away from you?” Sasha sighed, breaking the eye contact nervously. 

“Everyone is fighting in your corner, now, tomorrow, and forever. I know you’re scared about tomorrow, I am too. But I don’t want a job if I’m not allowed to fall in love with you.” Shea’s jaw was set and her eyes showed determination. 

“I like you Shea, but I’ll be damned if you lose your job before me,” Sasha smiled weakly. 

“Come on, I’ll take you home. It’s getting pretty late and you’ve got a big day tomorrow.” Shea offered; placing her hand on the small of Sasha’s back as she guided her out of the coffee shop. 

“Or, I could take you home?” Sasha countered, biting her lip nervously as she looked up. 

Shea placed her free hand on Sasha’s cheek and tilted her face upwards. Shea moved her own face until her nose brushed Sasha’s, and she pulled her into a kiss. Sasha wound her body around Shea as she deepened the kiss. The pair managed to stumble over to where they’d left Shea’s car. 

Leaning against her car, the two women only broke their kiss to breathe. Shea whined when Sasha opened the door to her side of the car, muttering to herself about blue balls. Sasha laughed loudly, leaning across to the driver’s seat to kiss Shea again, this time more passionate than before. 

Neither woman heard the footsteps outside the car, or the fumble for a camera. They missed the click of a camera, and the footsteps as the body attached to them ran away excitedly.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During Sasha’s public meeting, new information is uncovered that may put the entire office in jeopardy.

Each creak of the door was deafening. Sasha cringed each time the door of the office opened, waiting for it to be Farrah standing in the door frame. 

She was sat in reception, waiting for Farrah to bring her through to Trinity’s office.

Sitting on an armchair in the corner of the room, Sasha scuffed her feet on the carpet, her anxieties building up as she watched the door.

The reception was eerily quiet, no one daring to walk through as the public meeting raced in everyone’s minds. Sasha had already snapped at Kimora this morning, claiming the woman was being too loud. 

Everyone had thought this hypocritical considering Sasha was often the prime distraction, but no one had the heart to complain. Everyone in the office only felt sympathy towards her and, for some reason that made Sasha feel worse. 

She wasn’t sure why she felt that she didn’t deserve it, but she felt guilt in the pit of her stomach. It was her fault the company was getting bad publicity, no matter how much Shea tried to convince her otherwise.

The door creaked open one more time, with Farrah standing sheepishly behind it. Sasha gave her a reassuring smile.

“Everyone is waiting for you in Trinity’s office. You’ll win them over, Sash.” Farrah pulled Sasha into a hug as she walked over towards the door. Sasha muttered a thank you into Farrah’s shoulder.

“See you on the other side.” Sasha took a deep breath and smiled and Farrah opened the door to Trinity’s office. 

Trinity sat in her chair behind her desk, looking more stressed than Sasha had ever seen her. It was no secret that Trinity enjoyed plastic surgery, but despite her injections, the worry lines were prominent on her face. Sasha felt guilty for causing them.

Shea was sat in one of the chairs on the other side of the desk. Her foot tapped on the floor nervously, and Sasha could see chips in her white nail varnish from where she’d chewed them, a habit she’d gotten out of years ago. Shea’s eyes looked tired, and Sasha knew concealer was the only reason she couldn’t see dark circles under them. 

Eureka stood in the corner, leaning against the wall. Her face was still and emotionless, but she was clearly just as anxious as the others. She hated herself for doing this to them, especially Shea.

There was someone else in the room, perched in the chair next to Shea. Her dress was an obnoxious combination of patterns and it hung loosely on her slim body. 

The long sleeves were rolled up to her forearms. Her biker boots were a strong contrast to the high heels adorned by everyone else, but the woman seemed unfazed by her own lack of professionalism. 

She uncrossed her legs and stood up to greet Sasha, flicking her blonde curls behind her shoulders. She stuck out her hand for Sasha to shake.

“I’m Katya; I’m a friend of Shea’s. I’m also a pretty decent lawyer.” Katya picked up her brief case and gestured to it, as if it provided Sasha with credentials of her ranking.

“It’s good to meet you.” Sasha spoke softly, nodding politely at the lawyer. Katya tilted her head slightly, as if confused by Sasha’s nerves. That was somewhat reassuring, she decided.

“Right, so all we have to do is convince the public representatives that you losing your job would be bad. You need a majority vote, and with it, you get to keep your job. See, it’s not actually up to Trinity or Eureka, they’re here,” Katya gestured a point in the air with her hand, “in the pecking order, but the decision comes from up here,” Katya gestured to a point just above it.

Of course Sasha had spoken to the Head Office, she’d been in trouble enough times to have received a call from them. 

Considering her last incident involved breaking a camera after an intense game of hide and seek, they weren’t too keen on her staying. Sasha gulped.

“That’s a promising start then.” Eureka sighed. She was the one to receive the complaints from Head Office, and she knew all too well that they had problems with Sasha.

“If we play off your charisma and the ethical issues of firing you, then we should be fine. You’ll be back behind that desk before anyone else has a chance to piss on it and mark it as theirs.” Katya nodded confidently. 

She lifted her leg slightly to demonstrate, which caused both Sasha and Shea to grin with amusement. Eureka placed her palm on her forehead, wondering why professionalism was lost to everyone except herself and Trinity. She rolled her eyes when she noticed a smirk on Trinity’s face.

“Any questions?” Katya asked, mostly directing her own question to Sasha.

“What happens if, you know, I do get fired?” Sasha mumbled, avoiding eye contact with Shea.  
“We’ll burn that bridge when we get to it. Don’t worry, everything will work out. Remember, you haven’t done anything wrong.” Katya reassured, turning her attention to Shea. 

She gave the woman a slight nod of comfort, which Shea returned with a grateful smile.

“Come on, all the representatives are in the conference room. Good luck, Sasha.” Trinity patted her on the shoulder before opening the door for everyone to walk through.

Sasha gave Farrah a worried look as she walked past. It was clear the receptionist was trying hard to keep her face neutral as she crossed her fingers in a hopeful gesture. Sasha smiled gratefully.  
The conference room was a few rooms down from the office, and the glass windows meant Sasha could see all the people waiting for her. 

They turned their attention to Sasha and the others, their eyes beady and judgemental. Sasha felt a blush creep over her pale skin, uncomfortable with being the public’s focus.

She hung back slightly, letting the others walk in front so that she had a moment to regain composure. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes so that she didn’t have to look into the conference room. 

Shea took a hold of her hand, brushing her hand soothingly with her thumb. She let go and placed her other hand on the small of Sasha’s back, guiding her into the conference room.

She took a hesitant seat at the head of the table, Trinity and Katya beside her. Eureka and Shea stood behind, holding Sasha’s files in their arms. Katya had suggested finding evidence in them for the meeting, but Sasha didn’t understand what they could prove.

“My name’s Trinity Taylor, both Katya and I will be representing Sasha Velour. The Head Office requested this meeting to debate the grounds of Miss Velour’s termination.” Trinity spoke more formally than she did around the office, addressing each public representative with a polite nod. Sasha did the same.

The room fell silent, and the eyes wandered to Katya, who was lightly drumming her nails on the table. She glanced up, meeting the eyes of the public in front of her.

“So, legally in Brooklyn you can’t fire someone for, eh, personal reasons like this one. However, businesses have the right to terminate someone if they are damaging the company in some way. The problem with this is that there are huge ethical violations.” Katya explained, gesturing wildly with her hands.

“So, if she was fired she could sue?” A man from the public spoke up; his eyes narrow as he processed the information.

Katya pointed to him and placed a finger on her nose to indicate the accuracy of his statement, giving a small nod as she did so.

“So what we need from you all is a reached verdict, terminate or remain. The Head Office has spoken to Mrs Taylor and has decided that they will act in favour of the vote, one way or another.” Trinity elaborated.

“Well, how do we know Miss Velour won’t just keep acting like…this? Some people don’t want gay politics with their news.” One member of the public spoke up. Both Sasha and Shea visibly cringed at her comment, but no one addressed it.

“I promise,” Sasha spoke up, “I won’t express my own views on these certain topics on air. I’ve spoken to Trinity and I will not speak up again, no matter who we have as a guest. If the topic is too controversial, I will hand over to Miss Coulee.” 

The public turned to face Sasha, as if only just noticing that she was present since Trinity started talking.

“You think Shea Coulee would be able to handle it better than yourself? Aren’t you both the same?” One man asked, his face twisted into an uncomfortable frown. Trinity, Eureka and Katya turned to glance at both women in confusion.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Shea asked, keeping a polite tone. Sasha was impressed; she knew she’d ended up shouting. She supposed that’s how they’d ended up in this mess in the first place.

“You seriously haven’t seen it? It’s been all over the internet since last night.” A woman piped up, disbelief in her voice. Sasha and Shea exchanged a look.

“Please, explain.” Katya pressed. She looked nervous for the first time since Sasha had met her, clutching tightly to the pen in her hand. The public knew something she didn’t, and that worried her.

Someone rustled around in their handbag and volunteered a magazine, throwing it onto the table with a thud. Sasha watched everyone’s expressions before daring to look at it. The public mostly stared blankly, showing that this was nothing new to them. 

Everyone in her office however, looked horrified. It was Shea’s expression that made Sasha’s stomach drop.

Her eyes were wide, full of questions and panic. Her mouth had dropped open in surprise, and Sasha could see her lip trembling. Sasha realised her expression must’ve matched when she glanced down. 

The magazine had ‘Good Morning Bitches: today’s news story is a scandal!’ printed in bold across the top of the page, red lettering standing out as if it were taunting her. The main picture on the front page made her heart skip a beat. It was Sasha and Shea, leaning against Shea’s car on the night of their date. 

They were kissing passionately, hands on each other’s bodies. There was no mistaking who it was or what was happening.

She felt Trinity’s eyes burn into the back of her head as she fumbled for words. She only managed a gulp. Katya joined in and tried to stutter through an explanation, but her mind was as blank as Sasha’s. No one had an answer.

The public member, upon making her point, stuffed the magazine back into her bag, leaving everyone else around the table staring, dazed, at its surface. Sasha didn’t dare to move, conscious that everyone would see her shaking.

“Your office clearing endorses the relationship,” One person gestured between Sasha and Shea, “which makes some of us angry. You’ll lose way more viewers if it becomes public that the two anchors are not only gay, but together.”

Sasha wanted to ask why, she wanted an explanation of why that made people mad, and she wanted to understand why people hated her so much. Instead, she bit her tongue, deciding that her mouth had gotten them all into enough trouble.

“So your problem is with the relationship and not their sexualities?” Katya asked with a furrowed brow.

Some people nodded and others shrugged, mumbles of agreement echoing around the small room.

“It’s uncomfortable watching them. If they weren’t dating and did less anchoring together, I’d vote remain.” Someone suggested, their response evoking mumbles of agreement. 

Sasha’s breath caught in her throat. She hadn’t been sure when everyone had started labelling them as a couple. The description didn’t make her feel warm or excited as it would have last week, instead she only felt dread.

“So you’re saying Sasha can stay if we stay away from each other?” Shea asked, her voice cracking slightly. Her eyes drifted to Sasha, but she snapped them away in fear of upsetting the representatives.

“Is that even a legal solution?” Sasha asked, letting go of her calm demeanour to address Katya. The lawyer looked in a daze, not expecting the hatred of the public to affect their decision as harshly as it had.

“Workplace relationships are completely up to the Head Office. If you agree to the proposition, then yeah it’s legal.” Katya answered quietly.

“We’ll discuss this with Miss Velour and Miss Coulee this afternoon and we will take in your votes tomorrow. Thank you for your opinions and input today.” Eureka escorted everyone out of the room, distractedly answering questions. Trinity stood by the door with Katya, the two women speaking in hushed voices. 

Sasha assumed Trinity was looking for any way out of the situation, but judging by her frown she couldn’t find a solution.

Sasha was left alone with Shea, the pair sitting silently beside the table. Shea tapped her foot onto the wooden floor anxiously. Sasha looked up, and noticed that she was shaking. She reached out to grab Shea’s hand in a weak attempt to comfort her.

“What do we do Sash?” Shea trembled, nails digging into Sasha’s skin as she tightened her grip.

For the first time since meeting Shea, Sasha was speechless. She couldn’t think of a single word of comfort, because she was unable to come up with even one optimistic solution.

“I’m sorry I dragged you into this Shea.” Sasha whispered, the lump in her throat making it hard to speak up.

She stormed out of the conference room, not even pausing to speak to Farrah, who was curiously sitting behind her desk waiting for a rundown of the meeting. 

Sasha waited outside for her bus, leaving Shea wondering whether or not she was ever coming back.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shea tries to get through work without Sasha, who hasn’t been there for weeks.

The frosty morning left Shea’s breath hanging in the air like smoke as she climbed out of the driver’s seat of her car. She crossed the busy road distractedly, tossing the car keys from one hand to her pocket as she pulled the door of the office open.

She was grateful for the warmth of the reception room as she closed the door behind her. It wasn’t that late in the year, and the cold had crept up on Shea. She had been in a daze for the past few weeks, coming and going from work as if she were asleep. She drifted over to Farrah’s desk, brushing her fingers over her head to neaten her ponytail.

Farrah gave a little cough to catch Shea’s attention, deciding that it would be the less awkward way to announce herself. Shea turned to face her, blushing, as she was brought back to reality. The secretary picked at the varnish on her nails as she glanced up nervously. She’d been keeping quiet since Sasha’s meeting, and Shea assumed Trinity had told her to keep her mouth shut. They’d been walking on eggshells since Sasha left, and normally Shea would hate the childish treatment, but she now enjoyed the quiet that surrounded the offices.

She gave Farrah a friendly nod as she walked past, not bothering to start a conversation that would only make the younger woman uncomfortable. Shea walked tentatively along the corridor to the main room, knowing all her co-workers would have a similar reaction to the one Farrah did. Even Alexis, who seemed to never hesitate when yelling at either Shea or Sasha, merely gave her a polite nod. Shea returned it, but she was painfully aware that her face was twisted into a grimace. She never thought that she’d miss Alexis’s remarks, but maybe they weren’t the same without Sasha’s retorts. Silently, Shea took a seat at her desk, pulling herself forward on her swivel chair.

They had been brought in last week after Eureka’s constant complaints of back pain. In that time, Kimora had already been sent home after she and Aja had decided to joust with metre rulers. Aja justified that her friend’s arm hadn’t been broken, just bruised, but Kimora hadn’t been so sure. Office races took place still, despite the injury, but Shea hadn’t been able to enjoy the games properly.

She’d won one of the races, but found herself looking at Sasha’s desk to hear her sarcastic congratulations. She knew Sasha would’ve ended up hurting someone and getting into trouble, and half-heartedly told herself that, during swivel chair week, the office was better off without her.

Shea glanced hesitantly at the phone beside her desk. She stared at it with a faint smile, memories surrounding it like ghosts. Weeks had gone by since Shea had picked it up and found Sasha’s voice at the end of it. She’d make up funny voices, pretending to be business partners or the Head Office so that she could talk to Shea without getting up from her desk. They’d both found it much more practical than being yelled at by Eureka, Alexis, and Trinity all at once. Once they had been caught, Shea recalled, when Sasha let out a laugh too loud to have been caused by anyone other than Shea. Of course, that hadn’t stopped them.

“Shea, have you finished the report I told Aja to give you yet?” Eureka asked as she drifted past, eyes narrowed suspiciously at the lack of work on Shea’s desk.

“Not yet, but uh,” Shea stuttered, “I came across a problem in Alexis’s analysis so I have to double check it. I’ll have it to you by the end of my shift.”

Eureka seemed satisfied with the response and walked away, yelling at one of the cameramen standing around nearby. Alexis, however, was less satisfied.

“We both know I triple checked my analysis and there wasn’t anything wrong with it, so why don’t you tell me what you’ve been up to.” Alexis asked, turning in her chair so that she could face Shea behind her.

“That’s between me and Eureka, none of your business.” Shea answered, not taking her eyes of the unfinished report on her laptop.   
“You made it my business when you made me sound like an incompetent fool. Now spill.” Alexis retorted firmly, staring at the back of Shea’s head until the woman gave up and turned to look at her.

“I’ve been distracted.” Shea answered stubbornly.

“Yeah, we know you’ve been struggling. But the whole point of Sasha leaving was so that you could keep your job. All this was for nothing if you’re getting yourself fired for sitting around like an idiot.” Alexis scoffed.

Shea now knew why Sasha hated Alexis, because she was always right and it was infuriating. Now, the usually cold coworker was looking at her with gentle, sympathetic eyes. Alexis looked worried, for both Shea and Sasha. Alexis pretended that she didn’t care for either women, but Shea knew it tore her up thinking that they were both hurting.

“No offense, Alexis, but if I needed advice on a lesbian love affair, I’d probably find someone else to go to.” Shea responded harshly. She knew Alexis didn’t deserve the brunt of her frustrations, but Shea couldn’t help it. She was clearly lost when it came to words, opting to do harm with them as opposed to letting Alexis see that she was grateful for her help.

“Our words are giants when they do us an injury and dwarfs when they do us a service,” Alexis quoted smugly, “Sasha would’ve been proud of that one.”

For the first time since Sasha had left, Shea saw the falter in Alexis’s smile when she spoke about their coworker. She noticed the slight sadness that filtered through her stern expression. Alexis wasn’t what Shea would call an emotional person, unlike herself, but there was no mistaking her obvious melancholy.

“You miss her don’t you?” Shea smiled slightly at Alexis’s flustered state.

“I mean, it’s certainly quieter.” Alexis answered simply, and the pair both silently agreed not to bring Sasha up again.

Shea bit her lip when Alexis turned away to get back to work, immediately typing away at her computer. Her distraction had gotten back to work, which left Shea alone, bored and struggling to get back to the report that remained very much unfinished. Farrah peered around the doorframe separating the offices to the corridors and glanced around before she locked eyes with Shea. She smiled widely, and it was probably the first genuine smile Farrah had given her in a while.

“Hey Shea, Peppermint just sent me a message, she wants you to call her tomorrow. Not today, but it does have to be tomorrow. She said to make that really clear.” Farrah rambled, short of breath, presumably from running to find Shea. She raised an eyebrow, wondering what Farrah was so excited about. Farrah flapped her hands around in a vague gesture, claiming Shea would have to wait until tomorrow.

Shea was grateful that, when Eureka prowled past her desk later that afternoon, she’d managed to finish all the work that her boss had set her to do. Eureka seemed surprised that she’d even accomplished one of those tasks, let alone all of them. Shea would’ve been offended, but she was self-conscious of the fact that she’d been pretty useless over the last few weeks.

“Congratulations Miss Coulee, you get to leave on time today.” Eureka commented sarcastically as she collected the work from Shea’s grasp. Shea rolled her eyes when Alexis snorted with laughter, amused by all the extra hours Shea had been doing previously.

“See how you like it when she makes you work overtime. I swear last week it was just me, her and Kimora, weirdest night of my life. Two different kinds of insane.” Shea commented, miming an explosion over her head. Alexis laughed and grimaced when she saw Kimora and Aja chatting in one corner. If Shea thought she hated her and Sasha, she didn’t even want to know what Alexis thought of those two. Judging by her expression, it wasn’t a positive opinion.

Time went quickly for the first time in weeks, and Shea found herself looking at the clock to find it at half six. She said goodbye to Alexis, who was too deep in an online catalogue to properly acknowledge that Shea was getting up to leave. Shea swung open the door to the quiet reception, drawing attention from a very bored looking Farrah and some man who was leaning on the desk signing papers.

“See you tomorrow, Shea.” Farrah smiled, spinning happily on her office chair. She was in better spirits than anyone else and, although not uncharacteristic, it was a strong contrast to her behaviour that morning.

“See you tomorrow.” Shea echoed, her mind preoccupied with suspicion as Farrah continued to grin at her. Confusion still raced around her mind when she stepped into the driver’s seat of her car, her eyes narrowed as she glanced back at the office. Putting it down to one of Farrah’s childish jokes, she finally allowed herself to drive home.

Reaching out hurriedly Shea opened her front door, the cold air from the outside biting at her exposed hands. Shea’s house bore several similarities to her desk at work. It was neat and clean, everything tucked away in drawers or on shelves. She had lots of clutter, but her house gave the illusion of a simple one when everything was swept away.

Her furniture was mostly wooden and light, with bold paintings hanging on plain walls. She had a plant in every room, and she remembered how Sasha had whined when Shea had told her about them. She had wondered why the woman had such a green thumb when Sasha couldn’t even keep her cactus alive. Shea threw her bag into the living room where it landed onto one of the sofas. Her jacket soon joined it, and she let out a content sigh. It was hard for Shea to admit she didn’t enjoy work like she used to. For all the fighting she’d done to keep it, she’d grown tired of caring for it.

She wondered when she’d reached the point of coming home and not spending additional hours on her reports and analysis. It wasn’t that she didn’t want her job anymore, because it was what she’d dreamed of ever since she’d discovered journalism in college. She was just losing the will to fight for validation, especially after revelations in the magazine of her sexual preferences.

Shea cursed herself for what seemed like the hundredth time, wishing she’d been able to gather more self-control. If only she’d kept her relationship with Sasha private, but she’d just had to show her off.

Shea moved a mug of cold coffee from the table beside the sofa to the kitchen sink, too tired to bother washing it up. She made herself a latte, wrinkling her nose as the heat scorched her hands. Shea dropped it hurriedly onto the table, ignoring the already forming coffee ring that was starting to stain the wood.

The knock on the door came suddenly, making Shea gasp in surprise. She sharply inhaled as she recovered, two more knocks following the first. They came with more haste and determination than the first and Shea knew it was important, whoever it was. She cursed her door for not having windows or one of those peepholes as her heart sped up. She placed a hand on the handle of her door, listening for the person on the other side of it. Shea swore she heard a deep, shaky breath as she unlocked the door.

If anyone else had appeared on Shea’s front door at close to midnight, muttering to themselves loudly enough to make the neighbours complain, Shea would’ve punched them. Or, at least, asked them how they found her house.

But none of that mattered when Shea saw Sasha standing on her doormat, shaking from the cold. Sasha’s teeth chattering as she gave a sheepish smile. Shea stared, mouth hanging open in surprise, as she moved aside to let Sasha in. The woman hugged herself tightly to warm up, sighing with content when she stopped shivering.

Shea’s living room was like the rest of her house. Two cream Colorado sofas sat on carpet, a television adjacent to a tall oak bookshelf. Sasha stroked the spines of the books as she walked past. She smiled gently at Shea’s collection, imagining her sitting and reading the Sherlock books that sat proudly at eye-level.

Shea watched Sasha’s eyes light up at Oscar Wilde, and she felt a pang knowing how much they’d love talking about literature a few weeks ago.

“You’ve brought the rain inside,” Shea commented, her voice cool as she gestured to the dark expression on Sasha’s face. She looked nervous, as if her mind was running with potential scenarios of what would come of her visit. Sasha seemed slightly taken aback by the coldness, and it only angered Shea more knowing that she was expected to welcome the woman back with open arms.

“I’m sorry.” Sasha mumbled; her eyes glassy and wide. She shuffled uncomfortably on her feet, unable to determine what Shea’s reaction would be.

“You,” Shea seethed, “have been missing in action for weeks, and you didn’t even bother to send me a text. You think waltzing in here and saying ‘sorry’ is gonna cut it? I thought you were gone.”

Sasha winced, “I know, I do. I couldn’t face you until I sorted everything out. I ruined everything, and I couldn’t come back until I fixed it.”

“A call, Sasha, that’s all I wanted! I wasn’t asking for you to chase me down at the airport and convince me to miss my plane.” Shea was convinced Sasha could’ve come up with a better metaphor, but the anger in her tone made up it.

“How was I meant to call you when nothing’s changed? I came here to tell you how we can sort out this mess, and you won’t even hear me out!” Sasha exclaimed, the outburst effectively uncharacteristic.

“You expect me to sit here and listen to some stupid plan of yours when you didn’t even say goodbye?” Shea’s voice cracked slightly, and her trembling tone caught Sasha’s attention.   
Sasha said nothing; she just looked Shea in the eyes.

The silence hit her like a deafening roar, but instead she decided to listen for the promising hopeful cadence tucked behind her harsh statement. She found it amidst Sasha’s big sad eyes, staring at her with all the remorse that Shea needed to see. Sasha was sorry, she was standing in Shea’s living room and for now, that was enough for her.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shea finally understands Farrah’s strange behaviour as she is brought into Sasha’s plan.

Shea drew the paper cup full of coffee away from her lips, staring at the red stain she’d left on it. She had used the napkin that was previously wrapped around the cup to fix her smudged lipstick, and now felt the boiling water burn her hand as she clutched the cup.

The day was warmer than the previous ones had been, and yet Shea refused to drink the more refreshing coke or lemonade that were placed in the fridge by Trinity.

She enjoyed drinking the coffee that was just a little on the wrong side of too sweet after putting two sweeteners in, but it was like a comfort to her. Shea needed consistency in her otherwise fluctuating career, one day productive and the next so monotonous that Shea was left to wonder why she stayed.

Leaning back in her chair, Shea put her hands behind her head and closed her eyes. But the peace was shattered within moments as Shea felt a looming shadow fall over her body. She also felt something tickle her nose, and she wiggled it in frustration. Slowly opening one eye, Shea was greeted by Farrah’s blonde hair in her face, golden strands caressing her nose.

Shea reached up and brushed it away, irritated, as Farrah smiled sheepishly. She glanced at the clock in the corner of the computer, wondering why Farrah was standing at her desk at ten in the morning.

“I’m sorry to disturb the nap, Shea, but Peppermint wants you to call her,” Farrah informed as she reached to pick up the phone on Shea’s desk, and handed it to her.

With narrowed eyes, Shea dialled Peppermint’s number, grumbling “Why can’t Peppermint just call me,” as she waited for the woman to pick up the phone.

“Hey, Peppermint, it’s Shea. Farrah here seems pretty eager that I call you, everything okay?” Shea greeted, shooting a glance at the receptionist.

“Yeah, thanks Shea. I need to meet you, Farrah said she’ll bring you down town, and she knows where to go already. I’ve authorized it with Eureka; she said she didn’t mind as long as ‘you were doing some work for once’.” Peppermint explained; her tone one of joy. Shea’s suspicions weren’t lessened any by the phone call, and she hung up just as confused as before.

“So, what did she say?” Farrah asked in a sing-song voice.

“She needs to talk to me, and I’m supposed to follow you. God, that’s like the blind leading the blind,” Shea teased, standing up and collecting her bag as Farrah pouted at her. She pressed the coffee cup to her mouth as she followed Farrah out of the door, ignoring everyone’s intrigued stares.

“So, where are we headed?” Shea asked as she held the door open for Farrah. The girl slipped under Shea’s arm, blatantly ignoring the question.

Shea knew it would just be left in the air, unanswered, and so she silently followed Farrah onto the streets, which were slowly becoming busier as people made their way to work.

Shea walked cautiously along the sidewalk, Farrah skipping at her side. The main reason why Shea’s suspicion had grown was because of the receptionist’s change in demeanour.

She’d been sulking ever since Sasha left, and Shea had even caught her crying in the breakroom on multiple occasions. She hadn’t realised quite how close the pair were.

Shea didn’t mean to seem selfish, but she hadn’t anticipated that Sasha had developed such a strong friendship with anyone other than Shea herself. Seeing Farrah behind the reception desk wipe her eyes with the back of her hand, staining her cheek with tears, Shea realised how wrong she’d been. However, now Farrah was humming to herself happily, urging Shea to hurry up. She didn’t understand what had happened to change Farrah’s mood so dramatically.

Shea felt as though she was walking a dog, or a child, as she shouted for Farrah to slow down, growing more and more anxious each time the younger woman was nearly hit by a car or a bike. People on the street walking towards the pair mumbled exasperated complaints as Farrah ran into them, yelling out an apology.

The apparent danger didn’t seem to affect Farrah in the slightest as she stopped at a crossing, out of breath, waiting for Shea.   
“It’s just down that road.” Farrah explained through ragged breaths. She shifted on her feet impatiently, even though she’d only been stood still for a moment. Shea rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t hide the amused smile that curved her lips.

“What is?” Shea asked, glancing down to the bottom of the road. She couldn’t see anything except for a crowd gathered in the distance. It was too far away for Shea to make out what they were doing and so she raised her eyebrows in question at Farrah, who was still smiling absentmindedly.

“If I could tell you Shea, I would’ve told you ages ago.” Farrah shrugged, exasperated, as she dragged Shea over the crossing.

Shea realised soon after that there was no point in arguing against the younger woman, and followed Farrah down the street, straining her eyes as she tried to make out what the crowd were looking at.

Farrah seemed suspiciously uninterested in the people in front of them, instead turning her attention to the fence beside her and running her hand along the railing. The girl was known for being curious, as if it were embedded in her nature.

She had bothered Eureka on her first day when she’d started as an intern for being the only one of three to ask questions. This had had the opposite effect on Trinity, however, who instead decided that Farrah was the only one deserving of the full time job. As much as Trinity had become fond of the girl, it hadn’t stopped Farrah from being a pain in the ass.

The fact that there was no interest gleaming in her eyes was uncharacteristic to say the least.   
The first thing Shea noticed when she reached the crowd was the abundance of colour. People dressed in bright, bold colours, and some even adorned that rainbow fabric that Shea was all too familiar with.

In her confused daze, the only face that Shea was able to make out was Peppermint’s, who was smiling warmly to others in the crowd.

“I can’t believe you guys organised a gay parade!” Shea laughed with happy disbelief. She didn’t listen to Farrah’s response, although she was sure it would’ve been smug, as she glanced over to the journalist.

Peppermint was holding a canvas sign in one hand. It was painted with pink lettering, announcing to the world ‘Breaking News: Lesbians Exist’.

It looked carefully painted, the powerful strokes weirdly familiar. Done by Sasha? Shea wasn’t sure. After glancing at the other signs that were being distributed in the crowd, Shea came to the conclusion that they all were, in fact, painted by Sasha, her suspicions verified as she spied Sasha standing on the pavement, handing out signs and posters to people without their own.

She was grinning as some elderly lady complimented her art, before taking a sign and re-joining her grandson.

Farrah clapped her hands excitedly as she saw Shea’s bewildered expression.

“Go on, then! Go talk to her,” Farrah encouraged, pointing to where Sasha was talking to two women beside the pavement.

Shea nodded slowly and made her way over to Sasha, fully aware of Farrah’s excited squeals behind her. She supposed the girl had been waiting for their first proper reunion for a while, ever since she’d learnt of Sasha’s plan.

Sasha turned around when she heard footsteps behind her. Her eyes lit up affectionately as Shea pulled her into a hug, not minding how the wooden sign in Sasha’s hand dug into her hip.

“You’ve been busy,” Shea laughed softly as Sasha held her sign proudly in her hands.

“I couldn’t do it anymore, I couldn’t pretend that it was right for them to do this for us. So I’ve been meeting with Peppermint for weeks now, and we decided that there was nothing stopping us from going public and showing the Head Office that a few critics aren’t worth firing either one of us,” Sasha explained, unable to hide her delighted grin.

“Plus, getting the story into the news will show them all our supporters,” Peppermint added as she skipped up to the pair, waving her sign in the air triumphantly. With her free hand, she gestured in the direction of the crowd.   
Shea grinned.

“And guess who agreed to cover it?” Sasha clapped excitedly, nodding her head in the direction of a camera crew. Stood amongst them, Alexis held a microphone and script, reading through what she had planned to say. Shea raised her eyebrows in surprise, seeing the woman embrace something she’d been wary of since the problems had first risen with Sasha all those months ago.

“How’d you manage that?” Shea asked with a grin, catching Alexis’ eye and giving her a wave. Alexis returned it awkwardly, uncomfortable as both women smiled at her from a distance.

“Guess she loves me after all,” Sasha shrugged, blowing Alexis a kiss. After a roll of the eyes and a scowl from Alexis, Sasha laughed loudly. Shea watched fondly as Sasha continued to wind up Alexis. Her eyes were brighter and she had a genuine smile on her lips, both features Shea had gotten used to not seeing.

“I never thought I’d hear that,” Shea mused aloud, watching Alexis standing in the distance, interviewing a couple beside her. Shea couldn’t hear much of what the two men were saying, but they were smiling, and she was grateful that Sasha had so many people on her side. She supposed they both had so many people on their side. Sasha just gave a shrug that read: neither did I.

With the distraction of excitement out of the way, Shea properly took in Sasha’s appearance. She looked much better than she had before, the burden lifted from her heavily weighted shoulders.

She wore a white dress with sunflowers decorating the fabric in the style of Van Gogh’s own painting. Sasha wore a denim jacket over her dress, her signature pins placed on the left side. When she spun around excitedly, the pins clacked together and, to Shea, it was almost lyrical. But then again, everything Sasha did was like music to Shea.

Farrah, feeling as though she’d left the two women for long enough, rejoined them. She was struggling to balance on her feet as she held three signs in her arms. Farrah’s was painted baby blue, and it read ‘My gay rights priorities are as straight as me’, and Sasha’s pink sign read ‘Love is news worthy’. Shea glanced down to the one she had been handed, and laughed loudly in amusement. Painted in white over a red background, her sign read, ‘I love my gay granddaughter’

“What the fuck is this?” Shea snorted, holding her sign up so that the two women could see it.

“Well, the old lady over there took the one I’d made for you,” Sasha whined, pointing to a woman who was talking to Trinity and Alexis.

“Doesn’t matter, I’m proud of my granddaughter anyway,” Shea shrugged, grinning as she held the sign up.

“You’re an idiot,” Sasha shook her head.

The two signs remained high in the air among all of Sasha’s other posters, but the pair’s other hands were entwined together. Shea found Sasha’s hand was covered in red, blue and green paint, with additional pink stains from where Sasha had been unable to wash it off earlier. Shea had expected nothing less.

“Let’s join the party,” Sasha smirked as she led Shea over to the crowd by the hand she still held. They found Trinity and Eureka who, though their hearts were in the right place, seemed uncomfortable in amongst the boisterous, excited crowd.

Farrah, Kimora and Aja stood firmly in front of them, chattering away to strangers they were next to. Aja was singing to two men she was adjacent to, already three drinks in. She waved a small flag in one hand, almost slapping Kimora in the face with it. Alexis and Peppermint had been brought over to the camera crew, and seemed to be working brilliantly together. The atmosphere was light, and for once there was no tension among them.

Shea turned to Sasha, seeing glowing hues of colour from her own painting reflected in her eyes. Sasha blushed under Shea’s intense gaze.

Sasha was never keen on being stared at, and she once told Shea that it felt as though her flaws were being examined under a microscope in a laboratory. That had always interested Shea as, even with her keen eyes, she’d never found a flaw on the woman. Especially not right now, as Sasha basked in the sun, shouting greetings to the supporters that called for her.

People took photos of Shea and Sasha together, but neither of them shied away from the camera.

Hand still tightly holding Shea’s, Sasha turned to face her, a wide grin stretching over rosy cheeks.

“Miss me?” Sasha asked; her arms still wound around Shea’s waist. She tilted her head to one side with a coy grin.

“Yeah, a little bit,” Shea shrugged, pulling Sasha closer so that she could kiss her again. Sasha had no objections, merely stood on tiptoes and leaned into the other woman’s embrace.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Years later, on Sasha's birthday, Shea has yet another surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a while since I updated this, and even though I never planned to finish it anytime soon, the comments and kudos that I still receive gave me the motivation to. I hope you like this chapter, as I decided to give them a break from the angst for once. Thank you for reading x

Sasha rolled over with an obnoxious stretch. Usually, her limbs would hit Shea awake and she’d grumble all morning. But her hands didn’t find Shea’s hair, and her legs didn’t entangle themselves in her girlfriend’s. 

She pried open her eyes and found the other half of the bed was empty. Shea wasn’t sleeping beside her. Sasha frowned deeply. 

It was more like Shea to stick to a routine out of both of them, as Sasha was more the disaster of the couple, and she never changed her habits, particularly before work. 

Sasha pulled herself upright and noticed something glittering on her bedside table. It was a card, handmade and sparkling in blue, with the letters ‘Happy Birthday Sash’ PVA glued to the front. Sasha laughed fondly and blearily took it from where it had been propped up. 

It read: ‘Happy Birthday Sash! These years have been tough, but I wouldn’t swap them for anything. I love you so much and I’ll see you at work. I made you some coffee before I left, but considering you usually wake up an hour and a half later than me, it’s probably cold. I’ll see you soon –Shea xx’ 

Oh yeah, Sasha had almost forgot. Usually she’d have Shea bouncing all over her in the morning to remind her that it was her birthday. She didn’t like waking up without her. 

Another downside was that it made it much more difficult to get out of bed. She knew for a fact that if she was late to work she wouldn’t just have Eureka or Alexis on her ass, she’d have Shea too. Though, she decided, it would be her own fault for not being there to motivate her. She dragged herself up and lazily got dressed, putting on one of her blouses with the pins already on the collar. Three of them had been from airports when Shea and Sasha had travelled together. She smiled at the memory. 

She stumbled through their shared apartment, walking into the cream and blue kitchen that Shea had designed for them both. She'd planned everything with so much excitement and love that, even though the colour scheme for the rest of the house was red, Sasha wouldn't dream of changing any detail. 

The coffee on the kitchen side had indeed run cold by the time Sasha had reached it. She tipped it onto the sink and made herself a fresh cup. A cat jumped up onto the table and mewled for attention. Sasha stroked his red-ginger fur affectionately.

“Don’t give me that, Asky; I know Shea’s already fed you. Don’t you dare steal Teets’ food either, or I’ll feed you nothing but broccoli for a week.” 

She sat down with her coffee in her hands, smiling at the pink and white balloons Shea had strung from the kitchen lights. Shea had written ‘happy birthday’ on them in sharpie and had drawn a smiley face on each one. Asky took to sleeping on her lap, and she knew she’d have to brush away all the cat hairs before work. 

Sasha texted a ‘thank you for the balloons darling. I love the artistic smileys, makes me proud. I’ll see you soon xx’ to Shea while she waited for her coffee to cool down. 

She walked out to the bus stop, waiting for the bus that was due in mere minutes. She breathed a sigh of relief when she found that she was early for once. Sasha had gotten used to going up to work in Shea’s car, and she knew she was going to give her girlfriend an earful for leaving her behind. 

“Haven’t seen you on time since your second day on the job, Sash, I’m impressed,” said the bus driver as he took her change. She grinned at him and took her seat after he yelled ‘happy birthday’ to her down the bus. 

By the time she reached the office building, she saw Farrah standing outside unsteadily on a stepladder, hanging up a birthday banner over the front door. Sasha rolled her eyes with a smile and ran to help her when she stumbled. 

“Oh, thanks. I thought I was gonna fall…Sasha? I planned to decorate before you got here; I knew I’d mess it up.” 

“Doesn’t look like you messed it up to me, Farrah it looked amazing. Thank you darling! Now if you don’t mind, I want to show Alexis that I’m on time before we have our morning chat, I deserve bragging rights on my birthday,” said Sasha. 

“Yeah, yeah I wouldn’t expect anything less. I’ll be up in the office in a few, I’ll see you then,” said Farrah with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.

“Okay sure, and no birthday pranks! I’m getting too old for that,” warned Sasha. Farrah laughed as Sasha left to go to her own office, waving Farrah goodbye. 

There were some of the same banners hanging up on the office walls that Farrah had put up outside. Some balloons were also tied to her desk, and she made a mental note to thank Farrah for her efforts. She didn’t see Shea standing by her desk though, which surprised her. 

Aja, Kimora and Alexis stood by her desk instead. The younger two sung loudly to her, and engulfed her in a hug when they were done. Alexis gave her a handshake and a smile.  
“Thanks for all this guys!” Sasha grinned, gesturing to the decorations and chocolates that had been left on her desk. 

“Oh, it’s no big deal! Have a great day,” said Aja, walking away with Kimora to get back to their jobs. 

“Thanks, Alexis,” Sasha said. 

“It’s alright. I got you a little something, it’s not much though,” said Alexis. 

She held out a small white box. Sasha took it and carefully opened it, digging around red tissue paper. She took out a large white mug, where the handle was in the shape of a single rose. Printed on the mug was a series of photos from the office. One was from a colour run Sasha, Shea, Farrah and Alexis took part in a few years back, another was from a charity bake sale last year, and another she recognised from Farrah’s birthday. 

“This is so sweet Alexis, thank you so much.” 

“It’s fine, honestly. Just please don’t hug-”

Before she could finish her sentence, Sasha engulfed her in a huge hug that nearly knocked her off her feet. Dishevelled, Alexis went back to her own desk to do some work. She left with a smile on her face, though.

She put the mug next to her computer as she sat down at her desk. She found a formal birthday email from both Trinity and Eureka. She found Peppermint had posted on Facebook, and she found a picture of the two of them holding up protest signs from nearly 3 years ago. 

“@Sasha happy birthday my love! You keep fighting and loving for many more years lady. Have a good day ;) –Love Peppermint” 

Sasha didn’t used to like her birthday. It wasn’t like she didn’t receive presents or love from her family, but having friends to celebrate with brought more joy to the day than she’d ever been able to imagine. It helped that she could kiss Shea on her birthday now too, instead of receiving a polite handshake as she had years ago. Speaking of, she glanced around. 

Farrah was talking to Aja in the corner of the office by the coffee machine. Sasha called her over and she waved excitedly. 

“Good day at the office so far?” she asked when she reached Sasha. 

“It’s been a good one. Only one think would make it better though.” Sasha sighed, looking over Farrah’s shoulder. 

“She’ll be here soon, don’t you worry,” Said Farrah. 

“But she left before me. She should be here. Oh god, you don’t think she’d just leave me do you? Run away with the receptionist and move to Canada?”

“Sasha, babe, I’m the receptionist,” said Farrah. 

“Oh yeah.” 

“You’ll see her soon, don’t panic.” 

Sasha knew Farrah was right. But it didn’t feel like her birthday without Shea. Even before they started dating, when she’d celebrated her birthday in the office, Shea had been there. She felt a loneliness that made her feel guilty, considering she was sharing the day with so many friends. 

A crash brought Sasha out of her thoughts. A mug had been knocked from the surface it had been sitting on by someone walking past. They reached down to pick up the pieces but were yelled at to leave it alone in case they got cut. They did anyway, and they brought their injured hand up to their chest with an embarrassed flush.  
Sasha watched as the tiny blonde scurried away. 

“That’s Miz Cracker. I feel like she’ll grow up to be just like you,” said Farrah. 

“God help the poor lesbian,” said Sasha. 

They laughed, but Farrah suddenly grabbed Sasha by the shoulders. She caught her breath after laughing and looked down at her. Sasha looked at her in surprise. 

“What was that for?” she asked. 

“Look who just arrived,” Farrah said. 

Sasha followed Farrah’s stare, her eyes landing on the office doors with banners crossed over in front of the windows.  
Two bouquets of roses were brought through the office door, carried by two of Trinity’s assistants, and Shea followed behind. She was holding a light ginger cat in her arms with red ribbon tied around his neck. There was a black box hanging from the ribbon. 

Shea instructed the men to put the flowers down on Sasha’s desk. Then, she walked over to Sasha and kissed her gently. 

“Happy birthday babe,” she said. 

“Where have you been then? I missed you,” said Sasha. 

“Well, I had some important errands to run. Like picking up our son,” said Shea. 

She took the ribbon from the cat’s neck and gave him to Farrah, who was more than happy to see him. She cooed over him in her arms until her attention went to Shea and the box in her hand. 

“He looked adorable, and he’s not even trembling, how’d you manage that?” Sasha asked. 

“Maybe he knows today is special,” Shea said. 

When Sasha tilted her head at Shea in confusion of her nervousness, she spoke up again. 

“Okay, so I didn’t know when I should give you this. I knew I’d know when, but I didn’t know how. I did however know I wanted to do this since you first stumbled into my door. Now seems as good a time as any,” said Shea.

Then, she got down on one knee. She opened up the box, and revealed a beautiful white gold engagement ring. The centre diamond and the ones that ran down the band glittered in the light. 

“So Sasha, do you wanna get married?” 

Sasha gasped. It was a strangled, high-pitched gasp that made everyone walking through the office turn to look at her in concern. She was standing, frozen, with her hands over her mouth. Farrah was bouncing off the walls, barely able to contain her excitement.  
“Is this real?” asked Sasha. 

“Oh no, I just thought it would be a fun birthday prank,” said Shea.  
Sasha laughed tearfully and lightly punched Shea on the shoulder. 

“Of course, of course I do!” Sasha shouted, so loudly that Shea nearly dropped the ring in surprise. She shakily put the shining ring on Sasha’s finger. They entwined their hands and Sasha pulled Shea into a passionate kiss. It was the first and probably only time they’d be able to kiss at work. Not that this had stopped them before, though.  
“It’s your birthday but, happy birthday to me,” Shea murmured into her ear. Sasha chuckled and kissed her on the cheek. 

Everyone in the office clapped and cheered, Farrah the loudest, until Eureka made them disperse. Farrah, Aja, Kimora, Shea and Sasha were left in the office, still staring at the ring on Sasha’s finger. 

“Okay, but I do have something to say,” said Sasha. 

“Yes, my love?” said Shea. 

“Did you really bring my freaking baby into work? What if we lost him, or he ran away or something?” Sasha shouted, scaring the cat that was in Shea’s arms. Shea laughed affectionately and stroked his fur. 

“Look at him, he’s fine. The poor baby needed to get out the house, he’s frightened of birds.” 

“You really think this is going to help? He’s never gonna want to leave the house again,” Sasha argued. 

“It wasn’t like I raised him because he only likes you. So really it’s your fault.” Shea said. 

“Don’t blame his problems on me!” 

“It’s like your married already,” said Farrah. The fiancées’ grinned.

“I could get used to hearing that,” said Shea, giving Teets a kiss and then Sasha. 

Alexis came storming back into the room, her face like thunder. Her nose was running slightly and her face was bright red. Her hair was sticking up at all angles, and Sasha bit back a laugh.  
“Best birthday ever,” Sasha whispered to Shea. 

“Oh for God’s sake, you know I’m allergic to cats! You did this on purpose didn’t you!” Alexis seethed when she saw them. Her look of anger lessened when she saw only Shea chuckle under her breath, but the others were concentrating on Sasha; more specifically her hand. 

“What did I miss?” asked Alexis. 

“The birth of the most bomb ass wives in the office,” said Shea. 

“Oh Jesus Christ,” said Alexis.


End file.
